(Wednesday, Noveember 19, 2008 ... We will be revamping our website over the next
few weeks, including adding a FAQ section more legislative updates, legal status of midwives in Illinois, and the history
of Illinois midwifery.
"Wherever I go people say to me, WHAT'S WITH ILLINOIS?"
-- Marsden Wagner, MD, MSPH, world renowned
expert in Maternal and Infant Welfare,
following his 2001 Key Note Address
to the national March of Dime Conference
We will answer that question on this site.
MIDWIVES REACH AGREEMENT WITH ADANCED PRACTICE NURSES
The Illinois Society for Advanced Practice Nursing and the Coalition for Illinois Midwifery
have reached agreement on a licensing bill for professional home birth midwives (Certified Professional Midwives, or CPMs)!
*Scroll down to Who supports SB385/HB6653" for more details.
RALLY CHANGED!
Because the Illinois House has cancelled their first week of Veto Session, we will NOT be holding a rally on Nov.
12.
... instead we will .... RALLY FOR HOME BIRTH FROM HOME
Send a letter to your rep and recruit friends and family to contact their own reps! We are gearing up for what
we hope will be the last big push to license certified professional midwives in Illinois. And we need YOU to do it! Take part
in one of the greatest grassroots movements every to spring up from home to home for home birth!
Help all your friends and families to support midwives! >Check back< for more info.
The Coalition for Illinois Midwifery on youtube!
The Illinois home birth shortage on youtube! Thank you to filmmaker Ami Burns and her husband for producing this video, filmed
at the Coalition's Ricki Lake Fundraiser this past February.
Stunning trailer for new film, The Other Side of the Glass: A film to empoer fathers to protect their babies. (**Tissue
highly recommended for viewing this heart-wrenching clip.)
Why license certified professional midwives?
The vast majority of Illinois has no licensed home birth care at all. In the three counties with some licensed home birth
providers, there are still not enough. This leaves Illinois women with poor choices for home birth care: hiring an underground
network without good access to collaborative care, importing a midwife from another state or giving birth "unassisted" (without
any professional help at all).
Who supports SB 385 and HB6653?
Senate Bill 385 passed out of the Illinois senate with an overwhelming 51-7 vote. House Bill 6653 was recently was introduced
to show the final language of the bill (without all the amendments in the original senate version). This is a continuation
of SB 385.
The Illinois Home Birth Safety Act -- 32 Legislative Sponsors! (See SB 385) Includes leaders from both sides of the aisle! Senate Sponsors
Sen. William R. Haine - Martin A. Sandoval - Iris Y. Martinez - William Delgado - William E. Peterson, Jacqueline Y. Collins,
Don Harmon, John J. Cullerton, Dan Rutherford, Pamela J. Althoff, Kimberly A. Lightford, Michael Noland and Donne E. Trotter
House Sponsors
(Rep. Julie Hamos - Arthur Turner - Mary E. Flowers - William B. Black, Jack McGuire, Shane Cultra, Dave Winters, Mike Boland,
Cynthia Soto, Paul D. Froehlich, Lou Lang, Karen A. Yarbrough, Luis Arroyo, Harry Osterman, Maria Antonia Berrios, Daniel
J. Burke, Ron Stephens, Careen M Gordon and Joseph M. Lyons) Schedule your summer meeting with your state representative!
Summer is the best time to meet with your sate representative. (Check back soon
for more details or click on "Contact Your Legislators" in the menu to the left.)
FUNDRAISING REMAINS A FOCUS
As we hit the home stretch, we need your financial support more than ever! Help us finish this legislative session with our
professional lobbyist, and repay our volunteers who have, so far, been lobbying with little or no reimbursement.
Your support is crucial to continue this legislative effort! Every little bit helps, so please give what you can.
You can donate on-line via PayPal to info@illinoismidwifery.org or visit http://illinoismidwifery.org/
and click on the PayPal Donate button in the lower left hand side of the screen.
If you prefer to pay by check, make your check out to CFIM (or Coalition For Illinois Midwifery) and mail to:
Vicki Johnson
6092 Torchlite Trl.
Rockford, IL 61111
>>Click here to see who
contributed to
The Coalition's Spring 2008 Fundraising Drive!<<
While we try our best to keep our page updated, if you'd like the most up-to-date information, please, subscribe to our yahoogroup!
ILFAMFORMW.
Support Illinois Families For Midwifery with a Bumper Sticker
Click on the picture for information about how to get your own sticker.
Along with the Illinois Council of Certified Professional Midwives...
IFFM is proud to be a founding member of the Coalition for Illinois Midwifery.
Please visit the Coalition at http://www.illinoismidwifery.org
to view and endorse the Illinois Midwifery Initiative!
Why the CPM?
IFFM believes that the nationally recognized Certified Professional
Midwife (CPM) certification is the best and most realistic option for licensure in Illinois. Over the years, legislative
attempts have changed to require CPM certification for direct-entry midwifery licensure.
Why Consumers Advocating?
It's a little unusual for consumers to promote a profession. Consumer Advocacy became necessary as a number of Illinois direct-entry
midwives have retired, closed their practices or moved to other states (where they can be licensed and practice with relative
ease).
If you live in Illinois
We strongly encourage you to contact your State Representative!
Contacting your state lawmakers is the one of the best things you can do to support midwives!
Join IFFM's yahoogroup, ILFAMFORMW
IFFM membership is preferred but not required to join our yahoogroup email list. For the most up-to-date information click here and then hit the "Join this group" button. It's that simple! If you have trouble signing up
at yahoo, email IFFM and request an email invitation to join.
Prefer a lower traffic "alert-only" email list? Email IFFM and include "Subscribe E-tree" in the subject line.
Please link back to this site! Cut and paste the following code for use on your webpage. Thanks for your support!!!
We will continue to update this site, so check back periodically for more info!
