Midwife Autonomy Endangered by MANA President Sarita Bennett

The medical industry needs CNMs to improve the numbers of our birth outcomes.$

I could see this coming 30 years ago I warned ATM Com’s that CNM’s would never work toward atoning. Cause they themselves never had it

She almost killed my baby. Definitely should step down!

Sarita Bennett clearly should not be in any leadership position relation to midwifery. If the MANA board does not take care of this, you will lose all credibility as a functioning organization support OOH midwives (from an OOH CNM who has worked with CPMs for most of my career).

I’m a soon to be mother of two who believes in the right of women to make their own health care choices including the use of midwives in a non-hospital setting.

I stand behind the evidence and express my feelings of betrayal by the MANA board for not standing behind clear steps that also align with what MANA claims to represent. Please protect your midwifery community and Virgina especially from this harmful and sneaky attack from Dr. Bennet as the voice and face of MANA.

More from the tyrannical medical monopoly. Midwives are angels.

My two children, now in their 20's were both born outside any hospital. The first time was for financial considerations. The second I would have done if I were a millionaire! I have a trust in midwives, who At the time were struggling to gain privileges to write prescriptions in my state. I remember a time when only foreign born doctors would be their backup. Let's not send midwifery back in time by tying them to hospital work only. Midwives are well trained, and perfectly competent to work autonomously, and without hospital red tape.

I watched the video which documents her exact thought. Unfortunately her current viewpoint does not support the mission and vision of either MANA or ACNM.

Really shocking example of how the medical profession sees midwives as yet another category of what the AMA defines as "physician extenders"

Let the midwives practice without gross interference.

I had two hospital births and one home birth. And both types were absolutely wonderful but to make one like and act like the other is absurd.

It is essential that midwifery stays autonomous. Doctors and midwives can work together but never one on top of the other. If this happen we are going to lose all the work of years. The medical model of care is way different.

Midwifery is a human right and ESSENTIAL - the autonomy is number one on the list of requirements. You are playing with the health of your nation!

I have used homebirth midwives at my births specifically to avoid interaction with OBs, since I carry a fair amount of trauma from physicians sidestepping my midwives and unnecessarily meddling in my first birth at a hospital. As a women's rights issue, mothers should be able to work with midwives who don't have to answer to doctors. We can and should be trusted to make safe, informed decisions about our bodies, our births, and our babies.

Sarita is the embodiment of the dark triad

She was my midwife and she took terrible care of me post-partum.

Former MANA Board Member

Requiring OB back up would be a disservice to my community

I respect her role serving in two fields essentially, but when she stated that she would no longer advocate for the autonomy of any midwives, I had to agree with this petition. Midwives should be able to practice autonomously or in collaboration if they prefer, but an organization meant to promote midwife autonomy should not be led by someone who will not advocate for it.