I was saddened to watch the news yesterday and read this article which makes quite unpleasant reading. A mother apparently ‘butchered’ by her independent midwife. I feel for the poor family having to go through this horrific event.

On a different level, what a lot of damage this has done to the reputation of Independent midwives. I’m not here to judge, I don’t know the full facts but it is a terrible story and it appears that the mother and her baby were victims of inadequate care at the hands of this midwife.
If the midwife had insurance though would it really have made any difference? Sadly the damage is done, I am wholly sympathetic to the family and if the incompetent care of the midwife is true, there are a lot of failures documented, then my feelings are that it is right that she be struck off.
But-there are also many failures during births that occur in hospital, more often than not due to the shortage of midwives and this is putting babies’ lives at risk.

What I want to do is speak up for the positive role of Independent Midwives
Here is my birthing background in brief:
#1. Arrived at hospital 3 hours before he was born, laboured at home.

#2.Home birth, very supported by a wonderful NHS team. All four of us snuggled up in bed two hours after the birth.

#3.NHS Home birth- a ten pounder, all five of us together couple of hours after birth.Fish and chips for dinner!

#4.New area, felt very unsupported in my homebirth wishes especially due to the size of number 3. Labour day- a Saturday, was told not enough midwives to do home birth. Examined at home told not in labour. Go to hospital, examined again (yuk, I hate that) told to hang on until Monday, may get my homebirth. Home again ( 45 min drive) waters break, need to push…excruciating journey to hospital sitting on baby to keep her in. Baby born less than five minutes after arriving at hospital Baby inhales meconium, baby in special care for five days. Mother, father and siblings all devastated. Mother and father very down for at least six months after.

#5. New area. Hired independent midwife. Don’t see a doctor at all, only blood tests done were for nuchal test at thirteen weeks. Paid for scans in an imaging unit. Labour- no examinations, my wishes, no monitoring, my wishes, no intervention my wishes. I was told specifically that my midwife didn’t have insurance.Maybe my attitude was naive and lackadaisical but I wanted a healthy baby…if something happened to prevent that no amount of money would ease the pain.

After the debacle of birth number four I was adamant that I would do everything I could to insure a home birth. I researched the possibility of independent midwives and the experience I had was so fantastic that I’d say it was the best money ever spent.
There is plenty more I can say about the virtues of independent midwives and the birth in another post but I wanted to highlight now this very important fact in light of the current news-
Independent midwives can’t get insurance in the UK, or globally for that matter, can you believe that? There is no professional indemnity insurance (PII) available to them. Even though they want it. Then in the  autumn of 2006 it came to their attention that the law was changing and indemnity insurance would be mandatory for all health professionals. This could have seen the end of Independent midwives but it heralded the birth of  Independent Midwives. org. 
It seems that their campaigning is working and fingers crossed this will all be rectified very soon.

I think everyone needs to be sensible when giving birth at home, whether with an independent midwife or not. I was prepared to transfer to hospital at the first sign of any danger. I had asked my midwife what emergencies she had dealt with, after all we both wanted a healthy baby at the end of it.
I think this is an isolated incident, that Independent midwives want to facilitate the birth that everyone deserves and it is more often than not the lack of ( NHS )resources that prevents it.Obviously Independent Midwives are relatively expensive and out of reach sadly for most people but what you get for your money is tenfold…. I hope that the diabolical errors of one doesn’t destroy the good work of the others. They are few and far between as it is and really don’t need this bad publicity.