The Delivery Debate

This is a refreshing article with a well balanced look at the alternatives available or in the process of becoming available to intelligent women. When a woman does the research, weighs the risks, seeks appropriate counsel and decides to birth in the atmosphere of her own home, there should be well trained, compassionate and legal caregivers available for her to consider. CPMs and CNM's are doing a superb job of providing this alternative!

Thank you for creating such a well balanced article that examines the choices, or lack there of in many cases, for birthing mothers. Having had a successful home birth, i am an advocate of CPM's and want to see them legalized in my own state of Alabama. We are currently fighting a tough battle, but with so many other states catching on, hopefully we will be able to legally choose a CPM to attend our births! It's all about choice; everyone should have the ability to choose what is right for themselves.

Thanks so much for a very balanced article. I have eight grandchildren, all born at home with a CPM. CPMs undergo rigorous training and testing and are the only attendants who are trained exclusively in out-of-hospital delivery. The safety of homebirth attended by a CPM is well documented. Thank you so much for this article.

Thank you for the well balanced article. I appreciate you showing CPM's in the light of equality with CNM's and MD's. We all want mothers and babies to be safe during delivery. I should have the choice as to where I feel the safest, and with whom I want to deliver. Thank you. Both as a CNM and a home birth mom of two boys.

Thanks to Newsweek for an article well done. Women are intelligent and can decide the style of maternity that best suits themselves, their unborn child, and their family as a whole. Many articles and authors stoop to scare tactics to manipulate women. Thank you for an even handed approach.

So glad to see this article. Thank you for a well balanced article newsweek that addresses the choices that women can make in their births. Thank goodness we live in a free country where it is understood that women are intelligent enough to make educated decisions as to where the best place is to birth their baby. Kuddos to you for including direct entry midwives in your story who work so long and hard to obtain their certification (CPM) or to meet their midwifery requirements.

I love what Dr. Peter F Schlenzka said once, "...apparent disadvantages of the obstetric approach have such large order of magnitude, that in any clinical trial it would be considered unethical to continue with the obstetric treatment" Dr. Schlenzka also said in his study SAFETY OF ALTERNATIVE APPROACHES TO CHILDBIRTH "the obstetric approach cannot claim to have lower perinatal mortality rates than the natural approach to childbirth," with the natural approach in this case being defined as births planned in out-of-hospital settings???that is, at home or in a free-birth center ." and finally this,"Given no differences in perinatal mortality it must be noted that the natural approach shows significant advantages with respect to lower maternity care cost as well as reduced mortality and morbidity from unnecessary cesareans and other obstetric interventions, and significant benefits from avoiding negative long-term consequences from unnecessary obstetric interventions and procedures. These advantages of the natural approach are of such a large order of magnitude as to raise serious doubts concerning the appropriateness of conventional "obstetric" treatment for low-risk childbirth. "

Terrific article. Balanced articles about birth options should not be this rare. Well done.

Terrific article! Thank you for the balanced coverage.

Wonderful, balanced article! Well done!

As someone who has time and time again seen qualified, experienced CPMs treated with disrespect and disdain upon transporting a client in need of medical attention to the hospital, the following quote seemed particularly important: "it is important that home-birth providers not feel ostracized so that they can come to the hospital if necessary."

Kudos to Newsweek for the balanced coverage of maternity care options in the United States!

I so appreciate having a balanced article that fairly covers CPMs with the same even-handed tone that OBs and CNMs are covered with. Thank you for the clear way the issue was discussed. As a highly educated woman who decided to birth at home with a CPM for numerous safety-related reaons, I am so tired of having this well-researched, fully considered decision demeaned and belittled.

I so appreciate having a balanced article that fairly covers CPMs with the same even-handed tone that OBs and CNMs are covered with. Thank you for the clear way the issue was discussed. As a highly educated woman who decided to birth at home with a CPM for numerous safety-related reaons, I am so tired of having this well-researched, fully considered decision demeaned and belittled.