MIDWIFE ADVOCACY

[Your Name(s)]
[Your Role: e.g., Parent, Home Birth Client, Doula, Midwife Assistant, Community Advocate]
[Address]
[City, State, Zip Code]
[Email Address]
[Phone Number]

[Date]

To Whom It May Concern,

RE: Support for Home Birth Access in Wisconsin
 

I/we write to express our strong support for protecting access to home birth with a licensed midwife for families in Wisconsin. Whether as someone who has personally chosen home birth/as a person working within the birth community, I/we believe that every family deserves the right to make informed choices about where and with whom they give birth, and the laws in Wisconsin as they stand today allow families to do just that.

 

1. Introduction & Personal Background

[Briefly introduce yourself or your family. Include relevant personal or professional background.]

·       I/we am/are [a parent/doula/midwife assistant/childbirth educator, etc.] who [chose home birth / supports families through the birth process].

·       I/we have [number] children and [number] home birth experiences in [year(s)] in [location(s)].

·       I/we have worked with [number] families in Wisconsin as they prepare for home birth.

 

2. Why Home Birth Matters

[Explain your reasons for supporting home birth as a safe, valid option.]

·       Home birth provided us with [safety, autonomy, respect, continuity of care, an option we couldn’t find elsewhere, etc.].

·       Families often choose home birth when hospital policies are restrictive, do not reflect current evidence, or don’t align with personal values.

·       I have witnessed firsthand the power of informed choice, skilled care, and the positive outcomes that result from supported home births.

 

3. The Need for Access & Integration

[Advocate for access, respectful treatment, and systemic support for home birth.]

·       Families in Wisconsin deserve access to skilled and licensed midwives in all communities.

·       We need respectful, integrated systems that ensure smooth transfers and collaboration when needed.

·       Marginalizing home birth options only pushes care underground and places families at greater risk.

·       Robust midwifery laws that include access for families to breech, multiple, and VBAC births attended by skilled licensed midwives keep Wisconsin families safe

 

4. A Call to Action
I/we urge Wisconsin lawmakers and healthcare systems to:

·       Recognize home birth as a safe, evidence-based option for low-risk pregnancies

·       Protect midwives’ legal ability to practice within their scope and training

·       Keep the rules governing licensed midwives as they are today, with no changes to accessing any type of birth for home birth consumers, including breech, twins, VBAC, and rural home birth

·       Promote equitable access to home birth care across rural and urban areas

·       Listen to the lived experiences of families and birth workers who know the benefits of this care model

 

5. Closing

Every family deserves the right to choose a birth setting that is safe, supported, and aligned with their values. Wisconsin’s maternal health system must reflect the full spectrum of needs and experiences, including those of the home birth community. Because of this, we urge lawmakers to keep Wisconsin’s rules for midwives the same as they are today, including preserving access to safe breech, twin, and VBAC care, with no restrictions on distance to hospital for Wisconsin’s rural families.

Sincerely,
[Your Name(s)]
[Optional: Signature(s)]