My body = my decision: A rant about big medicine

Posted on Apr 14 in 2008 pregnancy, home birth advocacyby TalinaPrint

Today the Indiana Midwifery Licensure Bill is being heard and there is so much dirty politics surrounding it right now. Big medicine doesn’t want to bill to pass and now The Indiana State Medical Association is playing the abortion card to get the bill killed in the house.

The bottom line is we all deserve a right to make our own choices. If I want to see a chiropractor for back pain as opposed to having back surgery that is my right! If I choose to see a nutritionist about diabetes that is my choice. If I choose to decline the RhoGam shot during pregnancy it is my choice!

The insurance companies and the law makers are getting way too involved in these choices and today they are fighting to make sure women CANNOT choose a certified professional midwife as her care provider when she delivers. It is outraging and I am just furious!

The House is in session today and they are hearing a whole slew of bills including HB86 (the one I am ranting about). They are now going in reverse order so the bill will be heard last which means you still have time (until 5pm) to call (317) 232-9600 or
(800) 382-9842 to voice your support for the bill and your outrage about them using abortion language to get the bill killed.

You can also see the Live Stream at http://www.in. gov/legislative/session/video.html just click on “Watch Video from The House” and it will open up in windows media player I believe.

All this just makes me so mad! Allowing midwives to be licensed and legal in this state only protects women and their babies, sure it may infringe on the doctor’s monopoly but isn’t the most important thing the patient? Why can’t they be free to choose the best option for themselves?

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Update: 7pm, 4/14/2009

The bill is dead, certified professional midwives are still illegal and women are still limited in their childbirth options. The bill was scheduled to be heard first this morning at the start of the hearing (10am). We watched the live stream of the session online. During roll call the Republicans were absent so things were recessed until 11:30 am since the Republicans were in a meeting.

When things resumed the order for business was reversed which meant that our bill, that was to be first would now would be heard last. Additionally Rep. Wolarksi  (317-232-9648) felt the need to add some “abortion language” that “concerned the ability of the fetus to feel pain in utero”.

The abortion language effectively killed the bill since the speaker previously said he would not hear our bill with that language attached. We didn’t have enough time to get it taken off.

Tonight the meeting was adjourned halfway though the 2nds to last bill and ours (the last one) was never heard. This means that everyone who worked so hard on this will just have to pick up, dust off and go at it again next year. Such a shame!

If you are a homebirth supporter in Indiana you should join the related yahoo group (this is the one I am on) so you stay in the loop about this legislation and are able to speak up and be heard when time comes to start taking action again.

Now is the time to talk this issue up, help more people understand the need for this licensure and make them aware of the legal situation here. The more buzz we generate the harder time big medicine will have shutting us down next year.

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8 Comments

• Krystal says:

  April 14, 2009 at 3:42 pm

  The thing that really makes me mad is we can choose to have an abortion, but we cant choose how we want to birth our children. Dont get me wrong Im very pro choice, I feel that its a womans body its a womans choise. But that being said, when you choose to keep the baby you should be able to choose how you care for yourself, shots(you know how I feel about shots), meds, and birthing.
  Why does it always have to come down to money?

  Krystals last blog post..Being the "Other" Child
• Donna B. says:

  April 14, 2009 at 6:20 pm

  How is med association using abortion to kill this? That does not make sense to me.

  Donna B.s last blog post..Alert The Media
• Talina says:

  April 14, 2009 at 6:57 pm

  Donna B. »

  I am not sure how it is possible or why but “The Speaker had already said he would not hear our bill with that (abortion) language attached, so it would not have been heard any way.”
  Somehow the abortion wording killed it.
• Talina says:

  April 14, 2009 at 7:03 pm

  Krystal,
  You totally have a valid point there. It is ridiculous and just makes my blood boil. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made some laws to force those shots on us, you know take the injustice a bit further. They are controlling us in EVERY other way they can and people are just not mad enough!
• Hyphen Mama says:

  April 14, 2009 at 7:47 pm

  I hate that health care has become only about money and nothing about health care. I chose and pay for out of pocket, my chiropractor/acupuncturist 99% of the time. Our pediatrician can’t figure out why I don’t bring my kids in PROMPTLY for their annual check ups. Why? So you can charge $200 to get their weight and height???? I already know both.

  What I hate more is that the government can’t deliver my mail, I DO NOT want them in charge of my health care. But something needs to be done.

  Hyphen Mamas last blog post..In the land of Google… you’re never alone
• melissa says:

  April 14, 2009 at 7:49 pm

  Yeah, I think a woman has all rights to her body and her care for her children.It’s all about the money to them. In a way, they do kinda have laws about no shots. There are so many schools out there that will not let your child start school until they are caught up on all their shots.
• Donna B. says:

  April 14, 2009 at 7:52 pm

  I see – they used the trick of attaching something unrelated and destined to fail to kill the whole thing. If I had my way, it would be impossible for legislators to do that!

  Donna B.s last blog post..Alert The Media
• Heidi says:

  April 14, 2009 at 10:45 pm

  Well, coming from the medical side of things I can look at it in a different perspective BUT- with that side I do agree with you. As long as you are not putting yours or your childs health in danger then what does it matter if you have your child in your home- a hospital- or the middle of the street for crying out loud!

  But then again there are like 5 different drugs out there right now so that 90 year old men can get an erection but we still have cancer. Go figure?

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