Fighting for Access to Midwifery Care and Home Birth: The Minnesota Story
Mary M. Lay, Professor, Rhetoric, University of Minnesota

In spite of their many differences, throughout the 1990s Naomi and Rita were in solidarity in their struggle to change their a-legal status and become licensed midwives. This case study tells how a group of Minnesota traditional midwives (women who have no formal medical training) organized to develop acceptable licensing rules and regulations, describes the coalitions and factions which developed, and recounts the legislative battles. The case offers opportunities to discuss the legislative and regulatory options available to the midwives, and how they as a group and as individuals assessed the trade-offs of licensing. It supports a discussion of coalition building, law and regulations, and feminist engagement with the state.