I'm on an adrenalin high. Sorry if this post get mushy or too long. And sorry I'm not really sorry.
I really should have gotten around to posting this sooner. However, the craziness that is my life has prevented me from doing much of anything that isn't in my planner. And that my friends is full of boring stuff like readings, papers, focus activities (which don't keep my focus) and the list goes on. I did find time to do something that has me totally umm...I'm going to use the word verklempt.
Now I feel a little guilty because I had every intention on educating you all about LB428, midwifery, and a skimming over of childbirth-even though I've never been through the experience. Obviously I didn't get to it and it bugs me that I didn't.
LB428 is a bill that would allow Certified Nurse Midwives to attend homebirths. As the law stands now in Nebraska, CNMs can practice in hospitals-under MD's. But it is illegal for them to practice in the home. Essentially it is illegal for you to go through your labor to birth your baby in your home with the most highly trained a skilled medical professional in the area of childbirth. Sound funky to you? Me too. Alabama and Nebraska are the only two states in the U.S. that have these type of restrictions. What gives?
Little factoid-The U.S. spends more money per capital for maternity care than any other, yet the United States of America has a higher ratio of maternal deaths than at least 40 other countries. FOURTY. There's a problem. I think professional, ethical, and properly trained midwives that's hands aren't tied could be part of the solution.
In the eighties there was a long hard fight for CNM's to get legal status and to even be able to practice. So they made a concession, and the words "Except a Certified Nurse Midwife shall not attend a homebirth" were added to the law and well here we are still trying to get it off there. Now homebirth is not for everyone. But each woman deserves a choice, she deserves to do what is right for her and her baby, and the truth is statistically, homebirth or at the very least, birth with a proper midwife is as safe or safer. But I'll tallk more about that another time in another post.
So I wrote my senator asking for his support of this bill. I worked hard on a letter and I edited and edited. I cut out sentences that had too much information and too much heart. I tried to get it factual and reasonable. The last thing I wanted was for him to think I was some fruity, hippie chick(even if I am), who didn't know her stuff. I cited peer reviewed journal articles and told him to watch the Business of Being Born, because I'm bossy. I don't know if he looked at any of this but I do know one thing. He listened. He heard me, and the others who wrote him. He's now a co-sponsor of the bill and I'm so excited I could hug this stranger!
I saw the post and I looked at Jerrel and said "He signed! He's a co-sponsor." then I cried. In a common area in West Center in Kearney, Nebraska I cried. Because I had been heard. Because someone had listened to my passion and wanted to do something about it with me. Because I wasn't crazy and this bill was a good idea. Because someone else wanted Nebraska to part of the solution not the problem. Jerrel, who wrote as well said "Look at you, all excited and stuff." So I'm verklempt. The hearing is tomorrow and I want to go so badly, it didn't work out this time. I have a whole new fire under me though and I'm going to keep educating, I'm going to blog about it more. We are going to get this fixed.
Happy. Happy. Happy.
Blessings!
