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Lawmakers halt plan for midwives to handle higher-risk home births

The move in Maryland follows a Washington Post investigation that revealed a midwife kept her license after the deaths of three babies.

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May 21, 2024 at 8:50 a.m. EDT
Tina Brown Overton crouches near a tub where Naomi Puckett labors during an attempted vaginal birth after Caesarean, or VBAC, in Crofton, Md., in September 2017. More than six years after the fetal death of Puckett's son, Overton has agreed to pay a $5,000 civil fine for the unlicensed practice of midwifery. (Family photo)
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A years-long push to allow Maryland’s certified professional midwives to care for women who have had a previous Caesarean section and are seeking vaginal home births has come to a halt after state lawmakers withdrew draft legislation because of new safety concerns from regulators.

The legislation would have expanded the potential client base for such midwives, who are licensed by the Maryland Board of Nursing to provide care for pregnant women and deliver babies at home. Unlike certified nurse midwives, they do not hold advanced degrees or nursing credentials, instead learning primarily through apprenticeships.