The legislative season has started in SD again, so much of my computer time is taken up with following and promoting and defending the Home Birth Safety Act. Last year, the state passed a bill that allows Certified Nurse Midwives (CNM) to attend homebirths, which was a strong step in the right direction. (Though very disappointing at the time.)
The problem? Roughly 1% of CNMs nationwide work in a homebirth setting. The rest of CNMs practice in the hospital setting. There is one CNM in the state of SD that attends homebirths. She had been fighting for years to make it legal, and finally – in June 2008 – was able to move her practice from WY back to SD, where she lives. Bless her.
http://raingarden.blogspot.com/2009/01/home-birth-safety-act.html