Victory for Home Birth in Wisconsin

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Thursday, April 13, 2006

KaiserNetwork has a quick update on the story about the Wisconsin midwifery bill that was headed through the legislature earlier this week.

Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle (D) on Monday signed a bill (SB 477) that regulates licensing procedures for midwives in the state.

Also...

The new law prohibits people who are not licensed midwives from referring to themselves as midwives. Licenses will be granted to those with a certified professional midwife credential from the North American Registry of Midwives or a certified nurse-midwife credential from the American College of Nurse Midwives.

Finally...

Doyle said, "For parents who choose home birth, it is important to make sure that midwifery is practiced under a regulatory framework so they know that their midwife is properly trained and accredited," adding, "The new licensing requirements will help to make sure that births performed by midwives are safe for the baby and mother"

Nice! According to data I can find, there are currently 15 midwives in the state that will qualify for licensing and about a dozen more that should qualify shortly.

Labels: Childbirth Issues

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