Midwife Autonomy Endangered by MANA President Sarita Bennett

Deborah Washington: Keep Midwifery Autonomous

Debbie Díaz Ortiz: Out Out Out and all like her , open and in the closet, just get Out of Midwifery at once

david farnsworth: I believe that this individual is working counter to midwifery and midwifery organizations

Danielle Phillips-Skiba: Everyone should be entitled to their birth of choice. Taking autonomy from a CPM is taking autonomy from a laboring woman.

Danette Condon: I ask for her removal as President of MANA.

Dana Wise: As a mother who has struggled with anxiety and PTSD from the treatment I received from OBs in a hospital setting during my first two births, this is very important to me. Changing to an out-of-hospital setting with CPMs made a HUGE difference in my mental health before and after pregnancy, and while laboring and giving birth to the 3 children I’ve had at a free-standing birthing center since the first two in-hospital births. Just the thought of my prenatal care being scrutinized by oversight from a “traditional” medical professional with whom I have NO relationship or trust is enough to make me anxious! Birth is a natural, normal, God-designed process that is extremely personal and the importance of women and families being able to choose the person and place where they are most comfortable and safe having their babies cannot be overstated. Excessive oversight and regulation is not only not necessary in healthy, low-risk pregnancies, but often more harmful to mother and baby than not, and there is ample evidence and studies that prove that, not to mention all the personal testimonies of women like me that switched providers and found midwifery care to make all the difference!

Dana Perlman CNM DNP FACNM: Midwives, like physicians, dentists, podiatrists, veterinarians, psychologists, optometrists, and other healthcare providers, cultivate interprofessional relationships in their communities of practice and collaborate with other social and health care practitioners based on the health status of their patients. An environment conducive to public health demands access to midwives in all settings where people seek midwifery care, research to support the science and art of midwifery, sustainable and varied practice models, and regulations that support competent, autonomous practice consistent with education and national certification. Regulations based on principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-malfeasance, and justice rather than anticompetitive tropes and personal vendettas will be most effective at reducing health disparities and improving outcomes. Dr. Bennett stated that she does not support this paradigm and therefore has compromised her duties as a member of the MANA board and cause significant harm to an entire class of professionals. I call on her to resign immediately or face removal from her position.

Dana martillo: I beleive bloated government oversight has become a problem in this country. And big pharma is more in control than the people, which is wrong

Dacie Hamilton: OB’s should not have authority over midwives!

Cyndi Rosenblatt: The MANA board must immediately remove Dr. Bennett from all formal positions to retain any credibility within the international midwifery community. The current situation is intolerable and will destroy the community so many of us have worked decades to build.

Courtney Watson: The midwifery model is often distorted when physician oversight requires unnecessary compromises in the care of clients who deserve access to midwifery care.

Colleen Forbes: I have been an independent/autonomous midwife for 20 weeks working ceaselessly to develop strong collaborative relationships with physicians in my state. Repeatedly the data has shown that it is NOT physician oversight that improves OOH outcomes but instead positive COLLABORATIVE relationships. Ms. Bennett if you can do one thing to influence your medical "colleagues it would be to encourage them to collaborate openly and supportively with CPMs and OOH providers to ensure that families choosing this option are afforded full access to safe care and safe transitions to hospital that are respectful and provide families with agency and dignity. Oversight is not the answer. I can and will argue that a higher standard for CPM training should exist and this coupled with collaboration and legally recognized midwifery in all 50 states is the path to safe and empowered OOH birth. Physician oversight is in direct opposition to global trends and needs to be halted now. This is an excellent opportunity for dialogue about the future of MANA and advancing the profession to afford more people access to care. Physician oversight will be closing doors to many many birthing people, particularly of low income and BIPOC

Colleen Donovan-Batson: This is sadly not surprising. Dr. Bennett assumed the position of president in a coup and forced other board members like myself to resign. She is a danger to the viability of a longstanding inclusive midwifery association. REMOVE HER NOW!

Christy Tashjian: I am a CPM and strongly disagree with CPMs needing physician oversight. CPMs are more than capable of providing high quality, autonomous prenatal, birth, and postpartum care in their communities.

Christine Hilderbrandt: This is outrageous! Midwives have worked so hard to establish themselves as safe practitioners in the face of continuing opposition from the Medical profession. Now, when it is finally looking like that is being recognized, a supposedly supportive Physician, who actually practices Midwifery and represents a huge Midwifery organization, is attempting to thwart those efforts. Oh, but she doesn't need the oversight of a physician, she is one. Get her out of MANA! She sure does not represent Midwives!

Cathy Rude: Horrific!

Catherine Salam: This is an outrage! After all the work that Virginia midwives did this past session to obtain full practice authority and licensure for Certified Midwives.

CarrollAnn Friedmann: We can’t lose ground!

Carrie Sparrevohn Ham: I am appalled at MANA’s inaction but not terribly surprised. MANA has not been supportive of ALL midwives for many years. It is time to stop supporting MANA!

Carole Moleti: Dr. Bennett is not a midwife and has no business dictating what midwives can and can not do.