In an article published on May 16th, author Jeffrey Kluger brought the political battle over birth between doctors and midwives to the forefront of the news media once again. Kluger interviews Melissa Cheyney, an assistant professor of Anthropology at Oregon State University and a practicing midwife about her insights into this tug-of-war over mothers and babies.
The article does an excellent job of bringing both sides to the table. However, it cites the British Medical Journal Study on homebirth as being based on Certified Nurse Midwives, when in reality the study included Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs).
You can read the full text of the article here.
It may be a pipe dream, but many hope that as women become more informed and empowered to make the best childbirth choices for them, all of the professionals involved in birth will be able to strike an evidence-based balance and come to appreciate each other as critical components of making the world a safer place for mothers and babies.