|Birth Right. A short video by Neeta Kirpalani and Emily
Jackson, 2008.| Midwifery is controversial in Alabama, both
legislatively and in debates about women's health policies. At
the heart of this issue is the question of choice. Current laws
deny many healthy women a choice in their birth plans. In
Alabama, it is legal for a woman to give birth to a child at
home; however, it is illegal to have a midwife assisting at this
home birth. Some expectant mothers from Alabama travel to nearby
states, such as Tennessee, where present laws enable midwives to
attend out-of-hospital births. Many of these women are seeking
alternative delivery options that enable them to have continuity
in care and a more personal birthing experience. As of 2009, the
practice of direct entry midwifery was legal and regulated in
twenty five states, "alegal" (that is, direct entry midwives
were allowed to practice without legal interference) in fifteen
states, and explicitly illegal in only eleven states, including
Alabama.1 |Neeta Kirpa