The Board of Medicine, the licensing agency for certified professional midwives, has voted for a NOIRA (notice of intent of regulatory action) regarding midwives. It is important to note that this is the second time they have blatantly ignored the advice of their Advisory Board on Midwifery, relying solely on the opinion of one OB/GYN with no homebirth experience or training (Consumer Resignation Letter .pdf). 

What does this mean, and why is this happening?  Based on their discussions at the Board of Medicine meeting, they are intending to severely restrict access to homebirth midwives for certain populations of women: VBAC candidates, gestational diabetics, obese women, non-vertex presenting babies, and twins. 

Why is this happening?  Two letters were sent to the Board of Medicine, written by 4 Certified Nurse-Midwives (download .pdf) and the Skyline Perinatal (download .pdf). 

Birth Matters response to the public letters. VACNM & Skyline Perinatal

Birth Matters Virginia’s statement on the recent Board of Medicine decision. Click Here