By Lisa Van Gerpen, CNM, SDSCO Advisory Board Member

I feel passing SB34 (the CNM bill) is MAJOR progress for both the legislature and the Board of Medicine and my hope is that it will be utilized to its full extent. If you had heard the Board of Medicine meetings, I think you would agree it's a miracle they passed it. They are not bad people; they just really believe that homebirth is dangerous because of personal experience, training, and the negative stories that make the news. When I started as a CNM 10 years ago most people thought I was crazy and didn't understand midwifery at all or why people would choose that option over a doctor. If I met someone and they asked what I did, it was always an interesting response. Now, more often than not they give positive comments like: a family member had a midwife and loved it; they want one someday, etc. People seem to now have respect for midwives even though they may not choose one themselves.

Home birth in this state, as I'm sure you're all aware, is still at the point where many people do not understand it or respect a family’s wishes to do it. I think part of that is the bad press and perception that it is illegal, therefore bad. Having good records of CNMs legally assisting at home births could go a long way to legitimize the practice in the eyes of legislators and the public in general. It will give proof that home birth with a trained midwife is a viable option.

I know it will take a special CNM to be willing to practice in rural South Dakota where home births are few and far between, but having the support of the state’s home birth families will go a long way to make this happen. As an SDSCO advisory board member, I have encouraged the SDSCO board to do what they can to recruit home birth friendly CNMs into the state. Not only will this increase options for SD families, but it will give student midwives an opportunity to have a preceptor within the state.

I fear that if this new law is not utilized the Board of Medicine, Dept. of Health and legislators will try to use it as a negative towards home birth families in South Dakota, saying they “gave” this to you and you didn’t make it work. My hope is that South Dakota families will do what they can to support any CNM who chooses to utilize this new law, even while they continue to expand options by working towards CPM licensure.

Note from the Chair: The SDSCO board is working to recruit more home birth friendly CNMs to the state. We realize this will be
challenging with only 1% of CNMs nationwide attending home births. We will keep you posted via the email groups and future newsletters as to how this is going.