Currently there are not enough legal, licensed providers to serve the approximately 800 - 1,000 babies born at home in Illinois every year. Even without legal access to Certified Professional Midwives (CPMs) in our state, Illinois women continue to seek out midwives for homebirths. And what happens? Unlicensed midwives fill in the gaps - "delivering" babies for many families. But without regulation, there is no assurance that a particular midwife is skilled, and that adequate protections are in place for the mothers and newborns.
Most states have standards that allow for the licensing of midwives. But here, without licensing, families don't have access to all the screenings available for their new baby, cannot easily get a birth certificate and don't have standard patient protections. In the worst-case scenario, they can't smoothly transfer from home to a hospital if they face complications during their birth.
The lack of licensing for midwives in Illinois puts mothers and babies at risk.
The Home Birth Safety Act, SB 3712, protects mothers and newborns. The bill would form a Midwifery Board in Illinois that would oversee the licensing of nationally Certified Professional Midwives. It sets a high standard for certification, and requires midwives to consult with other providers when birth complications arise. The Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing has co-written the bill language, with the health and safety of Illinois mothers and newborns in mind.
The bill has passed out of committee in the Illinois House, and needs to pass the full House and Senate to be sent to the governor. After 30 years of effort, it's time for Illinois to join the majority of states, and allow for the licensing of professional midwives.