Midwife Autonomy Endangered by MANA President Sarita Bennett

Once more, I am NOT from Springfield anything. I am from Paris, Kentucky. I have no idea how that got on my identification.

Yes, I am replying to my own post. When I was finally able to gain further information, I do NOT wish to withdraw my name from this petition. The suggestion of listening to the entire meeting would have been very helpful. I am unsure how Sarita Bennett got to be President of MANA but it is abundantly clear that she should not be now. I am appalled that she did not allow election at the last planned time that this should have occurred. This was a huge red flag, despite COVID (if that is the excuse). We as current and/or previous MANA members must press for continued autonomy and transparency. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Was there an agenda from the beginning that we are just now learning?

I wish to withdraw my name from this petition. Sarita clearly states that she does not want the non-nurse midwives to come under this study. Further, she has shared the information that she has heard at meetings for DOs. This needs much more information than I have seen here. I believe words have been seriously misconstrued. I am in favor of full elections of the MANA board and entertaining other people as President and other positions in MANA. Appointment of positions that should be elected will often cause trouble that can be avoided by using only appointment. Campaigning is important and much easier in this information age.

The only problem with midwifery in the USA is that there are not enough midwives. And those who do practice, have been bullied into a medical model that is responsible for the highest maternal death rate among first world nations. When midwives can practice independently nationally, and every community has the option for midwifery care, this statistic will change.

Sarita, your official statement in the MANA Board email is so bogus. Not a word of explanation regarding what you actually said in the ZOOM meeting with the VA midwives? No apology or retraction? You have to be held accountable. And no amount of claiming social justice will distract us from your words. Autonomy for all midwives has always been the starting point for MANA. Your attitude and comments disqualify you from the president or from holding any position on the MANA Board. 

Support autonomy!

What a terrible thing!!!! I hope the Virginia midwifery community comes out on top. Any midwife trained for doing home births is well skilled, experienced, and is an asset to the women they serve. Extra regulations will only create a greater divide between midwives and the few home birth friendly docs.

Dr Bennett’s statement and position does not represent the views of the MANA’s members at all. Her statement is actually harmful to the safety of women. And for the Board to not have yet issued a statement to defend its members is completely unacceptable.

Well what were you thinking when you elected a DO? She has to answer to her Medical Board, her insurance networks, and her hospital system. Its too bad that she turned on us, but it should be no surprise. This was a huge missed opportunity. She could have advocated for OOH providers to be incorporated into the medical system where we could have better support.

I hope this petition passes autonomy is so important.

This is our right of choose whom to select as a birthing option. Don’t take that right away from us. Midwives have long had extensive training in delivering babies. Not everyone needs to go to the hospital to give birth.

It is only with autonomy that midwives can create standards that are appropriate for their settings and for the desires of the childbearing families they serve. Ms Bennett's call for supervision by physicians has been amply proven not to work; supervision by physicians is the road to authoritarian and hierarchical control of midwifery by a competing profession that truly wishes midwifery to go away -- but will grudgingly accept midwifery as long as we play by rules written by those who do not understand midwifery or work within its pressures and framework. Because Ms Bennett has attained a DO, she now wishes to constrain practice only to those midwives who go to medical school -- how self-serving! -- or who kowtow to standards written by physicians. Research worldwide attests to the value and effectiveness of autonomous midwives who, whenever possible, will always work in collaboration with physicians so they can best safeguard the families in their care.

Midwives should not be limited by physician supervision, and should be free to work classically and not under a competing party.

Sarita! Seriously?!! Who are you really representing here. Surely not homebirth midwifery..... Time to step down and get out of the way. You hurt us more than help us. MANA is just a shadow of its former self. Breaks this old midwives heart to see Sarita take us back to this crap. Step down Sarita you have no business representing midwives in North America. You do not represent me that is for certain.

Autonomy to midwives. Women deserve the choice!!

I do not support a Dr. to represent midwives and do support autonomy of all midwives!

How utterly unethical of Dr. Bennett to betray the MANA organization she was chosen to serve! I completely disagree with her thinking, "...that supporting the midwifery model of care does not 'require credentialed midwives to exist.'” Dr. Bennett must resign immediately in order to make room for "...a new generation of midwives [who can] step into positions of local and national leadership, including at MANA, to help... ensure that every midwife, no matter her license type and location of practice, can serve her clients safely and sustainably, and that the profession of midwifery can thrive in North America." Amen.

Shocking!

semi-retired How did it get this way, sounds like she has been allowed to do what she wants

I am appalled to read this news. How on earth did she get in that position?