Midwife? (Columbia, Jefferson City, Ozark: felons, home, college)

[jmsbell]

I heard that midwives are now legal in the state of Missouri, but I still can't find any.. I'm 22 weeks and desperately wanting a home-birth with this child. I will go UC if I have to although I would rather have a midwife. Also, if you are a midwife, can you send me your prices since I"m coming in a 22 weeks and not early on? Thank you

[BeVeryWise]

Just posted the following not too long ago:

If you keep inquiring eventually you'll be referred to a CPM called Mary around the Mansfield area. She sent us her paperwork but we decided not to use her because one, she is too young, and two, she requires the mother to see her back up ob/gyn. Charges $1,500 too. Better off with someone "non-certified" and truly experienced. Certification requires submission to the interests of unknown people and thus affects their performance and therefore the birth itself. Almighty God has never made midwifery unlawful, by the way. It's simply an act of love, and love cannot be regulated, regardless of what some so-called "lawmaker" saith.

The Amish probably won't help you, as the one midwife I talked to wasn't interested (too afraid) to work outside the group. Some of the CNM's will most likely be medically minded. Depends what you want. I think there's 2 near Stockton, one being a CNM. Another CNM near Jefferson City. A CNM near Mt. Vernon. A CPM (?) in Alton who works with or knows Mary, I think. Plan on $1,200 to $2,000 no matter how far along you are.

[Curmudgeon]

Fascinating! My wife is a retired midwife who did her apprenticeship in NW Arkansas back in the early to mid-70s then moved back to CA where she practiced until 1985 establishing a birthing center and doing hundreds of at-home births. She was also very instrumental in seeing to the introduction and passage of midwifery licensure legislation in that state.

Now she's back in the Ozarks in SW Missouri and it appears that not a lot has changed in 35 years.

Way back in the dark ages the going price was about $1,000 for pre-natal, delivery and post-natal and any midwife worth her salt had a back-up OB/GYN in the event of complications and a need to transport.

Fascinating!

[Thepreacherswife]

Some possible resources:

American College of Nurse-Midwives - find a midwife, become a midwife

News (http://www.birthcolumbia.org/Missouri_Homebirth_Resources.html - broken link)

Missouri Midwives Association

http://www.newvillagemidwives.com/

[Happy Homebirther]

Congratulations on your pregnancy! What an exciting time to be pregnant.
Yes, Certified Professional Midwives (CPM) became legal in 2008. My best advice for finding a midwife is to ask around at your local health food store or natural mother support group. A lot of midwives still prefer the word-of-mouth route as opposed to direct advertising...after all, they were considered FELONS for fifty years! Getting to know other home birth couples can serve the double purpose of giving you support for your choices as well as possibly leading to a referral. If there is a chapter of Friends of Missouri Midwives in your area, join it!
Currently, CPMs and CNMs (Certified Nurse Midwives) are the only two legal midwives. CPMs are NOT required by law to have back up physicians, but it is common for them to have an arrangement with midwifery-friendly docs. This helps to ensure you, the client, continuity of care.
I would suggest that you meet with EVERY midwife you can. There is a midwife out there for everyone, but not every midwife will be the one for you! A "young" age does not necessarily equate inexperience.
As for fee, each midwife will have her own set but the going rate seems to be anywhere from
$1200 - $4000, depending on your area.
As for "submitting" when becoming certified, I haven't really seen that. The CPMs I deal with have not changed through certification. In fact, the only thing that has changed is their ability to legally attend women. They are still the compassionate, well-educated, autonomous providers they were before.
While God has never made midwifery illegal, these women have to live in a land ruled by "man's" law. A lot of them have families who depend on them and would be terribly hard pressed if they were imprisoned due to not being certified.
I wish you luck on your journey!

[DocGSD]

They are few and far, but good luck!

[MoMidwife]

Wow, what an eclectic response. BeVeryWise seems not so wise...Mary is known throughout the state for her professionalism, knowledge, experience, and dedication to making midwifery legal in Missouri. I would recommend her without fail. Furthermore, "Certification requires submission to the interests of unknown people and thus affects their performance and therefore the birth itself." is ignorant. CPM's must study an average of 3-5 years, and certify with an 8 hour test and many, many clinical hours. The certification is the only standard available to us as CPMs, the only way to document both didactic and clinical learning. The process has been found to be comparable, in the knowledge of prenatal, birth and postnatal care, to that of a CNM education and requires many more clinical hours than the CNM.
As for fees, the Columbia MO area midwives charge $4000. This is a bargain when you think of the 24 hour care that is provided for 9 months, all through labor and birth, and for 6 weeks postpartum. What would you pay for a OB and a hospital birth? $10000, average, for an uncomplicated delivery. Who thinks $1500 is excessive for hour long prenatal and postnatal visits, unlimited phone consults, and sensitive, private care during the most sacred and vulnerable times of a woman's life?