Evidence-Based Maternity Care: What It Is and What It Can Achieve, which was just released October 2008, is available free in PDF format at childbirthconnection.org. This report was written for legislators with the policy recommendations made by legislator members of the Reforming States Group. Our goal is to have each legislator presented a copy (or at least a summary) of this report by a constituent. Here are some points of key interest to South Dakota home birth families.

The CPM credential is:
* one of three national midwifery credentials in the US (CNM, CM and CPM) which are all accredited by the same body – the National Organization of Competency Assurance
* a midwifery credential currently regulated in about half of the states, with the remainder developing legislation
* one of the three types of midwives recommended to improve the safety of moms and babies through increased access to their care (in South Dakota that will involve licensing and regulation of CPMs)

Since this report is a 120 page document we are working on putting together a summary that can be downloaded from our website (sdSafeBirth.org), but we encourage you to read the report for yourself. Here are a few quotes to wet your appetite:

Under the section on Underused Interventions
“Midwives are more likely to have skills that support physiologic processes in healthy women and newborns, to value such supportive care, and to make judicious and conservative use of interventions…[midwives] demonstrated better outcomes than physician caregivers…Yet midwives are vulnerable to marginalization and experience obstacles that benefit powerful interests at the expense of the health care system and the best interests of women and babies…In the United states, certified nurse-midwives (CNMs), certified midwives (CMs), and certified professional midwives (CPMs) have passed certification exams of entities accredited by the accrediting body of the National Organization of Competency Assurance and met the criteria of the International Confederation of Midwives for the definition of a midwife. Projected cost savings from shifting to a system of care with midwives as primary caregivers for most US birthing women are considerable.” (p 62-63)

More advice on how to utilize this resource in Lobbying Lesson #5 (found under “Resources” at sdSafeBirth.org)