Midwifery: Bill to renew, revise CO midwifery law to be heard today by Senate committee

Our recent cover story, "Special Delivery," tells the tale of 36-year-old Indra Lusero, a Denver home-birth-mom-turned-lawyer who's advocating for what she sees as common-sense changes to Colorado's midwifery law. Today at 1:30 p.m., the bill to make those changes will be heard by the Senate Health & Human Services Committee...

By Melanie Asmar

February 17, 2011

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Our recent cover story, "Special Delivery," tells the tale of 36-year-old Indra Lusero, a Denver home-birth-mom-turned-lawyer who's advocating for what she sees as common-sense changes to Colorado's midwifery law. Today at 1:30 p.m., the bill to make those changes will be heard by the Senate Health & Human Services Committee.

It will actually be the second time the committee has taken up the issue. The first time, on January 19, lawmakers were receptive to several of the changes, including allowing home-birth midwives to administer IV fluids to mothers and to suture women who experience tears during childbirth. As usual, doctors, nurses and even nurse-midwives testified against the changes, arguing that home-birth midwives, also known as direct-entry midwives, don't have the proper training to do those things.

Today, the senators will hear more testimony from both sides. In addition to possibly making changes, the bill would renew the hard-won law that allows home-birth midwives to practice in Colorado. Midwifery has been legal here since 1993.

Check back to the Latest Word for more reporting about today's hearing.

More from our Follow That Story archives: "Midwives: Mom Jen Johnson's home-birth story."

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Melanie Asmar is a staff writer for Westword. She joined the paper in 2009 and has won awards for her stories about education, immigration and epic legal battles. Got a tip? She'd love to hear it.

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