For years, Maryland was one of just a handful states that made it illegal for midwives to help women give birth at home, unless they had a nursing degree. As of this week, that’s no longer the case.
Over the past decade, home births have become increasingly popular throughout the country, and Maryland’s midwives campaigned for change. However, the state’s strong medical lobby pushed back, arguing that home births weren’t safe. (There is a lot of argument on that point.)
The bill that finally passed through the Maryland legislature this year (unanimously!) includes a number of compromises intended to make both sides happy (or happy-ish): It lists specific education requirements for midwives, mandates a hospital birth for certain conditions, and explained how and when midwives should transition care to a medical professional if there are problems during delivery.
