Ohio Friends of Midwives October 2000 Vol.1, No.1

OFOM’s Back!!

Welcome once again to midwifery advocacy in the state of Ohio. As you may know, Ohio Friends of Midwives (OFOM) is a grassroots, consumer-based organization that supports and promotes midwifery, particularly direct-entry midwifery (DEM), also known as “lay midwifery”, as a quality health care option for Ohio women and their families. OFOM serves as an educational resource for the public and for both professional and non-professional groups who share an interest in the Midwifery Model of Care.

OFOM was first formed in 1996, and after three years of dormancy, we’re back with new enthusiasm. However, we need your input and involvement. We need new members, regional representatives, newsletter editors, website creators, etc. Just about any skill has a place at OFOM. Please show your support for safe and legal midwifery for all Ohio women by joining OFOM with both your physical and financial support! Complete and return your membership form today!

Membership Information

You can become an active member and/or financial contributor to OFOM at the level you are most comfortable with. (Matron $100, Supporter $50, Organizational $35, Basic $20, or more/less as appropriate). Fill out the enclosed Membership form and return it to OFOM. Take a few extra moments to tell us about yourself, your births, and/or your relationship to midwifery (consumer, midwife, other health care provider - specify, legislator, other) on the back of the form. This confidential information may be useful in describing our membership. If you are already a member, please pass this information along to a fellow homebirth supporter.

Important Legislative Update...

In 1996, as a result of Senate Bill 154, which would have made DEMidwifery illegal in Ohio, the General Assembly of the State of Ohio created the Direct-Entry Midwifery Study Council. The Council, which consisted of consumer advocates, midwives, nurses, legislators, and physicians, was asked to study the safety of direct-entry midwifery. The Study Council heard testimony on the subject of midwifery from more than 1,400 people, including many of you, generating the greatest public response on an issue since legislation concerning Worker’s Compensation.

In 1997, the Study Council’s majority recommendations were: to make the practice of DEMidwifery legal in Ohio, to establish voluntary registration for midwives, to require midwives to provide informed consent for consumers, and to require the state to make information available to the public regarding their option for midwifery attended out-of-hospital birth.

Yet to date, these recommendations have been ignored!

Consumer Advocacy...

Now is the time to act! Don’t wait until others in Ohio decide consumers shouldn’t have a choice regarding safe, healthy, family-centered maternity care. The Ohio> State Medical Board continues its pursuit to abolish the safe and legal practice of midwifery. That’s why OFOM is asking you to contact your state legislators today. We need a sponsor and lots of supporters for the “Direct Entry Midwifery Act” which we hope will be introduced in January 2001. (We will provide more details about this legislation in the near future.) It is crucial that we obtain widespread support for the act, so that Ohio women and their families can decide for themselves how, where, and with whom they choose to give birth.

Please take a moment to send a postcard or letter to your State Legislators, or better yet make an appointment to visit them in person. Let them know how important their support for the “Direct Entry Midwifery Act” is in allowing your family the choice to make safe, healthy, viable, and personal birth choices. A personal visit with your legislator can make a great impact on their decision to support or even sponsor a bill. Remember, you have a right to let your legislator know how you want them to vote on an issue! If you plan to visit your legislator in person, contact OFOM at 1-216-961-1710 to receive a Legislative Action Packet.

Tips for Effective Letter Writing to Legislators

The following tips for effective letter writing are from the Citizens for Midwifery, a national grassroots, consumer-based advocacy group.

• The best letters are handwritten, personal, short, and courteous.
• Address and open your letter properly (i.e., The Honorable [Senator or Representative] [Name].
• Identify yourself as a constituent (include name & address).
• Clearly identify that you are writing about the “Direct Entry Midwifery Act”.
• State what you want done (I would like you to sponsor/support the “Direct Entry Midwifery Act”).
• Personalize your letter. Use your own words, include a sentence or two about your own experience with this issue.
• Sign your letter!
• Thank your legislator for their time and consideration.

Wondering Who your Representatives Are?

Representatives include one Ohio State Senator and one State Representative. The simplest way to find out exactly who your representatives are is to call your local Board of Elections (county government section of your local phone book). You can also find them on the web at www.legislature.state.oh.us.

Information For Your Legislators on the Midwifery Model of Care and It’s Benefits

Direct-Entry Midwives practice prevention-oriented, woman-centered Midwifery Care, which is based on the fact that pregnancy and birth are normal events (not medical conditions to be treated).

Application of the Midwifery Model of Care has proven to reduce the incidence of birth injury, trauma, and cesarean section.

You can site the 1997 Study Council (see the Gongwer report online at CHOICE website: www.birthchoice.org/update) when you tell your legislator that statistical studies included in the research demonstrated, without exception, that out-of-hospital births attended by direct-entry midwives, both in Ohio and worldwide, were as safe as, or safer than, comparable in-hospital births. (CHOICE website is a good source of safety stats also.)

It has been estimated that by developing midwifery care, demedicalizing childbirth, and encouraging breast-feeding, $13 - $20 billion a year could be saved in health care costs! Testimony during the Study Council showed that a significant portion of the state’s population choosing direct-entry midwife attended out-of-hospital births are either uninsured or underinsured. Direct-entry attended out-of-hospital birth is a cost-effective solution for families which does not compromise the health or safety of mothers and babies.

Other Ways to Show Your Support for DEM

Please support midwifery today!

“In every country where I have seen real progress in maternity care, it was women’s groups working together with midwives that made the difference.” -Marsden Wagner, MD