I am a home birth and birth center supporter and wanted to make the analysts and reviewers aware of an inconsistency in our regulations that impacts midwifery practice and public health. State law requires that a newborn be administered certain drugs within 24 hours of birth but the midwifery laws prevent us from carrying or administering these drugs. Furthermore, there are low risk procedures occasionally required during or after a birth that requires the administration of certain medications that the current law prohibits us from carrying and administering. We are trained and competent to administer these drugs but current law is preventing us from administering them, creating an unnecessary burden for our clients. For more information please feel free to contact the Virginia Midwives' Alliance at info@virginiamidwives.org or by visiting our website at www.virginiamidwives.org.

States across the country are making it so that homebirth and out of hospital midwives can carry and administer these important medications. Statistics prove that out of hospital birth is safe for healthy moms and healthy babies, while midwives are often scrutinized about having unsafe birthing practices that simply is not true. Nobody talks about the horrendous birth statistics in the hospitals throughout our state. As a family who has chosen homebirth, I think that it is absolutely ridiculous to allow out of hospital midwives to practice in our state but not give them the full rights of their training. Or to carry the essential tools that they need to keep women and babies safe.