Midwife Arrested In Charlotte; Supporters Mobilize To Change Law

The arrest of a midwife in Charlotte has spurred her supporters to call on lawmakers to eliminate the law that sent her to the Mecklenburg County Jail.

Emily "Amy" Medwin was arrested Sunday morning and charged with giving unauthorized practice of midwifery after a newborn was born in an east Charlotte home and rushed to the hospital.

Family members of the 24-year-old mother said the baby was still in the hospital Wednesday night and was not doing well. A police report said Medwin failed to provide adequate medical care and that it resulted in serious injury.

Anne Kinsey, a midwife advocate in Charlotte, said Medwin is a certified professional midwife who is educated in home and out-of-hospital births. The problem arises because North Carolina recognizes only certified nursing midwives who are educated in both nursing and birthing, Kinsey said.

"I used a certified professional midwife for my second baby and birthed her at home," Kinsey said.

Kinsey is a member of ICAN of Charlotte, a group which supports midwifery regardless of where women choose to give birth.

Another group, North Carolina Friends of Midwives, said a state lawmaker was drafting a bill to legalize midwives who specialize in home births. The group said it planned to hold a rally on March 2 in Raleigh.

"Some people might say 'What's the big deal? Why not just go to nursing school and become a CNM if this is your passion?'" said Kinsey. "Most of these women want the specific training for the home birth setting and going to school to be a CNM would provide mostly medical training that's not specific to that environment."