Save the Date for Midwife Day 2022!
Midwife Day Returns to the Georgia State Capitol Building, February 8th, 2022!
Save the date! February 8, 2022 midwives and families will come together to educate legislators on midwifery and community birth! We are going to let Georgia lawmakers know that WE ARE STILL HERE!
Google “Georgia counties without obstetrical services” and you will find articles dating back to 2015 that chronicle Georgia’s failure to address the maternity care crisis in this state. In 2015, Georgia also changed the wording of state law to require someone to be a “nurse” midwife. This was discovered in 2018 and ever since then, our maternal health crisis has gotten worse. We have continued to press for licensure, even as community midwives have risen to the call of attending community births during the COVID pandemic. While other states have given temporary licensure to midwives during the pandemic, easing access to out-of-hospital services to give relief to an overtaxed hospital system, Georgia refused to listen to our requests. Midwives have continued to attend births, despite obstacles to obtaining supplies and emergency medications due to licensure issues.
The midwives of Georgia need your support.
Please plan to join us on February 8th at the Capitol. More details coming!
We have a winner for this year’s t-shirt but you can still shop for these limited edition shirts to support Georgia midwives!
Congratulations to Paulina Cardiel! She donated on Giving Tuesday and won a shirt! Thank you so much to everyone who gave. Please know that we get all of the proceeds from these shirt sales, and that you can donate any day, not just on Giving Tuesday!
Calling All Student Midwives and Community Volunteers!
If you would like to take an active role in Midwifery Legislation, please email Missi and we will invite you to an informational Zoom. This includes tasks such as organizing Midwife Day, fundraising, social media, etc.
Thank you to Dr. John Eaves
We had a great discussion with Dr. John Eaves, who is running for Georgia’s Secretary of State office. The Secretary of State oversees all professional licenses in the state of Georgia and has direct affect on midwifery licensure. Dr. Eaves voiced his support for midwives and community birth. His perspective is that midwives are small business owners who have been obstructed from practicing their trade in this state, AND recognizing that other states (36 other states, currently) already have pathways to licensure for community midwives, Georgia needs to get on board! There will be another Zoom opportunity with Dr. Eaves in the future, so stay tuned! For more information please visit: www.johneavesforgeorgia.com
