midwives

The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the worldwide professional association of midwives, is holding their first meeting in Africa this week, in Durban, South Africa. The focus is on ensuring the women of the world have safe pregnancies and increased access to medical services.

Today, like every day, nearly 1000 women will die giving life; and many of their babies will not survive beyond the first hours and days after birth.

Montana may have parental notification ballot measure, homebirth by midwife could be covered by insurance in Vermont, Texas turning away HIV patients, hospital merger in Arizona, and Planned Parenthood of South Florida responds to Rep. Alan West.

Operation Rescue plans for a pre-March for Life harassment of Dr. Carhart, the abortion rate rises slightly, New Zealand McDonalds lifts Wi-Fi ban on gay websites, midwives may soon see increased reimbursements.

In a less well-known but no less controversial effort to find "common ground" a Home Birth Consensus summit seeks to bridge a divide between those who support and those who oppose expanded access to homebirth.

It's the bill advocates are calling "the solution to the Illinois home birth maternity care crisis" and some have been waiting 30 years for its passage. But a strong and active state medical association is blocking the bill at every turn. Why?

Midwives travel on motorbike to deliver family planning information and supplies; anti-choice Rep. Joe Pitts is officially named as chair of committee with reproductive justice implications; HIV eradication and the WNBA; more on HIV "cure."

A study shows that expectant mothers in California may face more constrained choices in childbirth depending on whether they choose a non-profit or for-profit hospital.

A new report produced by Save the Children ranks the best - and the worst- places to be a mother around the world.

One of the midwives on public television is gone. Instead of rolling my eyes at writers' poor choice of plot development, I'd like to hear from the community what other accessible television and video represents midwives.