Ohio Families for Safe Birth (OFSB) is a consumer-driven effort to create a
statewide coalition of families and professionals promoting legislation and
policies grounded in the Midwives Model of Care which support families' access
to safe, appropriate, evidence-based care during pregnancy, labor, delivery and
postpartum. Our purposes are:
- Supporting legislation that licenses Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) in Ohio;
- Raising awareness and support for families choosing an out-of-hospital birth as a safe, appropriate option;
- Supporting safe family and baby initiatives in all birth settings.
The Safe Birth Blog has regular updates about OFSB activities and birth and midwifery issues in Ohio and around the nation. Check in regularly or subscribe to have new posts delivered to your email inbox.
Out-of-hospital birth is a reality in Ohio, with over 900 babies born at home in Ohio in 2005. Families are having home births and will continue to do so. It is in the interest of public safety to regulate midwives who practice out of hospital through licensure, rather than attempting to stop their activities through litigation. Requiring licensure for midwives who can demonstrate that they have met the requirements for competent practice is the best way to ensure that those families who choose out-of-hospital birth will have access to the safest possible care.
Midwives are the most cost-effective and appropriate primary-care givers for all childbearing women in all instances and in all settings. Home is the most appropriate setting for most childbearing women. Women choosing this option must be provided with necessary diagnostic, consultative, emergency, and other services as required, regardless of the place of birth.
~ World Health Organization (WHO) report on health promotion and birth, 1986
ACCESS ~ Ohio families deserve access to licensed Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs), whose training is uniquely focused on out-of-hospital birth. Ohio can best protect families who choose to birth out of hospital by implementing legislation that regulates qualified providers as 23 other states already do with some or all components of the CPM credential!
QUALIFICATIONS ~ CPMs are trained experts in out-of-hospital birth, and the only maternity caregiver whose education requires clinical experience and training in the skills necessary for safe out-of-hospital births.
SAFETY ~ The CPM 2000 study, involving over 5,000 births, is the latest of many scientifically sound studies to demonstrate the safety of midwife-attended out-of-hospital births. The implementation of licensure for CPMs creates a quality assurance mechanism for out-of-hospital birth attendants by establishing qualification standards and practice guidelines.
The Midwifery Model of Care is the most effective maternity care, resulting in fewer interventions, better outcomes statistically and individually, and at a fraction of the cost of the obstetrical model of care.
~ Foundation for the Advancement of Midwifery (FAM)