HISTORY OF NEW YORK MIDWIVES
In the early 1900s, a campaign in New York City to eliminate midwives was successful. Midwifery education programs were closed and birth moved to hospitals in the hands of physicians.
In that same period a New York City commission recommended the establishment of maternity centers because of the need to reduce the extreme maternal and infant mortality rates. The Women's City Club of New York responded by creating the Maternity Center Association (MCA), which developed a center for medical and nursing care. By the late 1920s the organization was managing thirty neighborhood centers throughout New York City.
Maternity Center Association And Education For Midwives
The Maternity Center Association and the Lobenstein Clinic, with encourage from the Children's Bureau, set up the first midwifery school open to nurses in the US. From 1932 to 1958 its graduates attended over 7,000 births, most of them in the mother's home. The maternal death rate for NYC during this period was 0.9, more than 10 times better than the national average of 10.4.
By the mid 1950s, seven educational programs were in operation and nurse midwives were being recognized in the health care community for their value in providing quality, cost effective care to indigent and geographically disadvantaged women. The popularity and acceptance of midwifery increased dramatically in the 1970s and 80s. The number of midwives in practice grew from 275 in 1963 to over 4,000 by 1995. Certified nurse midwives, a title adopted after the implementation of a formal certification process, were no longer caring for only indigent women and children. More affluent consumers discovered the benefits of personalized, holistic health care that modern day midwives had to offer and began seeking that care. Birthing centers were opening around the country offering prenatal counseling, extensive personal care before, during, after and between births, with consultation and referral as needed.
NYC Chapter History
In 1959 a small group of midwives gathered regularly in NYC as a professional group to discuss issues and problems and to advocate for themselves and their clients. This group eventually became the New York State (NYS) Chapter of the American College of Nurse Midwives (ACNM). Multiple chapters evolved in NYS and ultimately the ACNM organized the country into six regions. The original chapter bears the official title of Region II, Chapter 1 of the ACNM, but is commonly known as New York City midwives.
The NYC chapter has historically been one of the largest and most active chapters in the country. Joining hands in the early 1980s with other NYS Chapters, NYC Midwives played a key role in the successful passage of the NYS Professional Midwifery Practice Act of 1992, the law that established midwifery as a profession in its own right with the authority to define and regulate midwifery practice in the state (Find the Midwifery Practice Act at: http://www.op.nysed.gov/).
The leadership of the Chapter resides in the hands of the chapter's four elected officers, collectively called the Executive Board. The board is elected by the membership, 2 members each year for a 2 year term, on a rotating basis. Committees manage the activities of the Chapter. These include Public Relations, Nominating, Student Scholarships and Membership.
In 2000 the need for a state-wide organization became clear so the eight state chapters agreed to form the New York State Association of Licensed Midwives (NYSALM). Its purpose is to assist with ever changing state political and policy issues facing midwives in this era of health care development and reform. In addition, NYSALM provides midwives across the state learning opportunities and a means for communication on important issues.