Fewer OC Hospitals Are Allowing Midwife-Assisted Births, And Moms-to-Be Aren't Taking It Lying Down

thank you for covering this story. It means alot to so many people. I am a home birthing midwife (CNM) on maternity leave and worked at South Coast midwifery in Irvine. I will forward this article to my colleagues.
Thanks

Thank you so much for putting so much into this article. As someone who is currently pregnant and can't afford an out of hospital birth (medi-Cal), I'm completely frustrated by big business and how they are limiting us healthy women from having the birth that we are capable of and how ignorant so many are about birthing! I really appriciate that the word is getting out, so maybe moms like me can have more options when it comes to natural birth care and delivery! The care of an OB will never come close to that of a midwife! They're way too self-important and removed!

We just moved from South Orange County to the Seattle area and I'm pregnant with my first baby. I was always curious about midwifery care and have been amazed with the difference in attitude up here. It seems like there are about as many midwives, whether they deliver in homes, birthing centers, or hospitals, as there are OBs. While I certainly appreciate medical care when it's necessary, it's different to be cared for by a midwife. Both times I've been to appointments we've had a full hour with the midwives, and it's just really personal and caring. It's really too bad midwifery care isn't more available or even known and understood in Orange County. I hope the current issues help more women to be aware of the options available to them (and I hope things change if we move back down before I'm ready for the next baby--after seeing how things are in another part of the country it would be strange and frustrating to have fewer choices). Medical intervention is great when a problem arises, but for the most part birth isn't an "illness", but rather something our bodies are naturally able to do. I'm not saying that being with an OB is bad--I've had positive experiences with that, too--but I just wish that women were more aware of all options and that those options were available to them so that they're able to make better, more informed choices for what is best for them, regardless of what that choice is.