(Image source from: Midwifes restricted from home births by Senate bill})

Attempt by Arizona midwives to get permission for allowing more women to give birth at home has been stopped even before it started.

Licensed midwives have been banned from assisting women who previously had C-section deliveries through a legislation introduced by Sen. Kelli Ward, R-Lake Havasu City and a physician. Senate Bill 1157 also restricts licensed midwives from helping in home deliveries of women who had multiple babies or the babies are in breach position.

An emergency clause in the bill makes it effective immediately on becoming law instead of the standard three months period.

For over a year licensed midwives, their patients and state health officials had worked hard to introduce changes in the state rules. From July onwards some women, who earlier gave birth via Caesarean section or the baby was in a breach position before birth, were to deliver at home with assistance from a midwife.

(Picture Source: d22r54gnmuhwmk.cloudfront.net)

(AW: Pratima Tigga)