Midwife Autonomy Endangered by MANA President Sarita Bennett

This makes me very sad and angry. The MANA board needs to act immediately....as Geraldine said, it is time MANA do a reset

As a former MANA board member I am so saddened and concerned. She needs to step down or be removed immediately. The board needs to examine their culpability in inaction and allowing her to serve as a practicing DO rather than a midwife . (Her words) oh how I wish we could raise Abby from the dead. She’s have this sorted in 2 heartbeats!

How ironic that someone claiming to want to protect physiologic birth would sacrifice the midwifery professionals whose sacred duty has always been to promote physiologic birth. Shame.

This is appalling! One of us turning against us all. Is this for real? MANA years of working to bring us together going down the drain just like that? Why? Were you "bought" by any lobbyists? Were you "bought" by ACOG?

Dr Bennett must immediately remove herself as president of MANA if she does not and can not advocate for midwives in all settings. The MANA Board must not allow this to happen and I can not support MANA until they take responsibility for the situation and do what is right.

Dr Sarita Bennett, your comments and stance are in direct contradiction to your position with MANA. I am calling for your immediate resignation.

She should resign. This position puts the CPM credentials at risk in all states.

Midwives are licensed healthcare providers who do not need oversight!

Dr Bennett has a documented history of being manipulative and abusive with her students. She has continued to have bad outcomes and has caused great harm in our community. She is also finally having to face the VA medical board for her negligence. In the process she's attempting to bring down everyone she can with her. Her recent statements are appalling and directly oppose the autonomy that midwives have fought so hard for. She should absolutely not represent midwives as president of MANA.

This is an appalling betrayal. She must be removed.

Having had two natural births with the support of a midwife through the whole of the first pregnancy, labor an birth, in comparison to the second which, although was a natural un-medicated birth at the age of 40yrs old in a hospital in the UK, I can vouch explicitly of the value of a professional, qualified, and caring midwife to be FAR MORE superior to the hospital controlled birthing situations. I attended & supported my step-daughter's labor and birth in a USA hospital environment, and it was to me SO FAR removed from what labor should be - being strung up to a load of wires, monitored from afar, encouraged to have medication, whisking the child away in seconds, etc., etc. Should Dr Bennett's actions bring the birthing environment closer to it being medically controlled or monitored is a regression and violation of a parent's choice in how they choose to give birth. Dr. Bennett, has falsely taken a position of representing an organization which had very clear goals. If she chooses not to represent the mission of the organization she should resign immediately rather than falsely represent it. It cannot be more clear cut.

We need midwives for those wanting to have an intervention-free birth. The relationship between midwife and mother is so important.

I have seen in my experience the difference between excellent colllaboration amongst community midwives and obstetricians, and adversarial relationships. It is much better for the midwife and the client to have this collaboration, but this is not oversight. Oversight is detrimental to the care that the client receives and the antithesis of informed choice, but the point is moot because oversight is not realistic. We finally were able to get rid of this requirement in California--a primary reason being that midwives could not comply with the requirement even if they wanted to.

Hoping to help correct this unfortunate situation.

Está de más mencionar que derivado a la pandemia de ha visto el impacto y la necesidad de fortalecer la parteria. Necesitamos representantes que estén a favor y no en contra de nuestra profesión y de enriquecerla cada día más. No solo es una atención a la usuaria, la parteria va mas alla de la mujer gestante. Engloba a su entorno.

Please protect the bodily autonomy of midwives. No vaccine mandates. Their bodies, their choice. Covid vaccines, covid tests & even masks are granted emergency use authorization only. Under national & federal laws, all humans must have the option to decline eua products & treatments. It’s a violation of the International Nuremberg Code to force a person to take or use an experimental drug, vaccine or medical procedure. Those who do so, are committing crimes against humanity and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of international law.

ACNM should only represent CNM's and CM's. This is what happens when you "sleep with the enemy".

Licensed Midwives shall remain autonomous.

The greed and discriminatory practices of the 'professional' medical community needs to be stopped. Midwives are a quality and professional alternative to the over-priced and over-worked and under-skilled 'physicians' we have today. Not to mention, having alternatives to birthing options during COVID is simply humane. Dr. Bennett's recommendation is literally inhumane. How it's even open for consideration demonstrates the moral emptiness of the medical community. Please be better humans.

The fact that this person remains the President of an organization that she is so clearly and actively trying to dismantle and undermine is unconscionable. An emergency board hearing should be called and her removal should be the Board’s highest priority. The damage she is doing while holding this position of authority needs to be addressed immediately.