Saturday, May 24, 2008

Birthing women win legal decision

As someone who has her babies with a CPM (Certified Professional Midwife), I am very excited about this!
Birthing women win legal decision

Diane Goslin, 50, had been under a cease-and-desist order from the Pennsylvania State Board of Medicine, which had charged her with practicing medicine and midwifery without a license.

But the Commonwealth Court panel, in a 5-2 decision, nixed that order yesterday.

"I am very excited," Goslin, from New Providence, said shortly after she learned of the decision. "This is such an encouraging day of victory for women and families."

The state had charged Goslin because she is not a nurse-midwife, that is, someone with a nursing degree who specializes in childbirth. State officials have argued that in Pennsylvania, a woman must be a nurse-midwife to practice midwifery.

Goslin is not a nurse-midwife. She is a certified professional midwife, having obtained certification through the North American Registry of Midwives 12 years ago. Twenty-two states, including New Jersey, recognize the certification in their licensing and regulatory requirements.

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