Martha Merrill-Hall 4/30/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 4/30/25

Midwifery and Vaginal Breech Deliveries - Part I

For about 1 in 30 women with term pregnancies, a baby will present as breech. Although varying degrees of panic have been associated with the discovery of breech babies, those preferring to enter the world bottom first are absolutely normal.

Martha Merrill-Hall 4/30/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 4/30/25

Midwifery and Vaginal Breech Delivery - Part II

For good reason, experienced midwives and obstetricians emphasize a hands-off approach during breech delivery. “Sit on your hands, if necessary”.

Martha Merrill-Hall 4/25/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 4/25/25

Intra-specialty Cooperation: Cultures of Care Revisited

For hospital maternity care in America, effective teamwork and best outcomes for mothers and babies have proven quite difficult due to historical precedents attached to a persisting and antiquated hierarchy of care.

Martha Merrill-Hall 4/25/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 4/25/25

News Briefs: Midwifery Profiles and Practice For Consumers, Attorneys, Physicians and More. . .

According to the New York Times, the Trump administration is trying to figure out how to get women to have more babies. They are exploring options like reserving 30 percent of Fullbright scholarchips to applicants who are parents and/or married, giving mothers that $5,000 “baby bonus” that Trump had promised during the campaign season.

Martha Merrill-Hall 4/22/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 4/22/25

Foundations For Legal Certified Nurse-Midwifery/Certified Midwifery Practice and Boards of Nursing

Legal Foundations for practice

CNMs and CMs must demonstrate compliance with the Core Competencies for Basic Midwifery Practice of the American College of Nurse-Midwifery (ACNM) upon completion of their midwifery education programs and must practice according to the ACNM Standards for the Practice of Nurse-Midwifery.

Martha Merrill-Hall 4/16/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 4/16/25

Midwifery Chain of Command

Chain of command (COC) is a familiar concept to many, particularly individuals with backgrounds in the military, law enforcement, firefighting, and those who have been employed in healthcare settings.

Martha Merrill-Hall 4/11/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 4/11/25

News Briefs: Midwifery Profiles and Practice For Consumers, Attorneys, Physicians and More. .

Beginning April 1st, various communities are being stripped of $35 million dollars from the Trump Administration in the form of attacks on Title X, a well-known program that serves as an access point for basic preventative health care. These cuts will impact at least 20 States.

Martha Merrill-Hall 4/9/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 4/9/25

What Happened to Midwifery in America? Part 2

What happened to midwifery in America? Part 2

The 19th century began an era of modern childbearing that transformed birthing from a family-centered occurrence to an isolating, anxious experience for laboring mothers.

Martha Merrill-Hall 4/7/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 4/7/25

Legal Terminology in Midwifery Malpractice Litigation

The following legal theories may apply to nurse-midwives who are employed by hospitals, clinics, healthcare corporations, and private physicians. A hospital organization conducts business in conjunction with its CNM/CM employees in an

agency

relationship.

Martha Merrill-Hall 4/3/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 4/3/25

News Briefs: Midwifery Profiles and Practice For Consumers, Attorneys, Physicians and More. .

Midwives incorporated into U.S. maternity care systems could reduce perinatal health disparities and address other provider shortages.

Martha Merrill-Hall 4/1/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 4/1/25

Crocodile Court

If it were not bad enough to worry about the threat of malpractice litigation and potentially facing trial, since 2009 that anxiety has taken on enhanced significance and . . .validation.

Martha Merrill-Hall 3/26/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 3/26/25

Mary Breckinridge and the Color of Nurse-Midwifery

While the historical aspects of early nurse-midwifery are portrayed as brave and heroic, on a superficial level, there are additional issues to consider.

Martha Merrill-Hall 3/24/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 3/24/25

Sometimes The Meek Won’t Inherit The Earth - Part 1

Midwifery care is associated with the concepts of gentleness and patience. In fact, they are a hallmark of midwifery care. In corporate healthcare, these qualities are frequently undermined and disrespected.

Martha Merrill-Hall 3/19/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 3/19/25

What Happened to Midwifery in America? Part 1

What happened to midwifery in America? Part 1

Throughout history midwives have been ever-present, often in the background, but always with us. They have been women in the community other women have turned to for support with women’s unique physical and emotional issues. Most people know the word, midwife; early English for “with woman”.

Martha Merrill-Hall 3/14/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 3/14/25

Insurance Defense Attorneys

Insurance defense attorneys will advertise for clients the same as trial attorneys, but their targeted audiences are insurance companies, not injured plaintiffs. An insurance defense attorney is hired by a hospital insurance company to protect their interests when claims for malpractice arise. As a CNM/CM hospital employee, named in a claim for malpractice, you will eventually become acquainted with this individual. Although many midwifery/medical defendants may consider this person to be “their” lawyer, that is not really the case.

Martha Merrill-Hall 3/12/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 3/12/25

Filing The Midwifery Negligence Lawsuit - Part 3

According to National Vital Statistics, birth injury is defined as “impairment of an infant’s body function or structure as the result of an adverse event during childbirth. Injuries mostly occur during the process of labor and delivery.

Martha Merrill-Hall 3/12/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 3/12/25

Legal Standard of Care Part, 1

Standard of care is a legal term, not a medical or midwifery one. When referring to the quality of care provided in a situation of healthcare, standard of care is the term of lawyers, not healthcare providers.

Martha Merrill-Hall 3/4/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 3/4/25

Filing the Midwifery Negligence Lawsuit - Part 2

The type of legal case that may be filed against you as a midwife is civil litigation. This encompasses medical malpractice and personal injury. A personal injury lawsuit begins when a plaintiff (injured party) files a complaint against a defendant (the party deemed responsible for the injury).

Martha Merrill-Hall 3/3/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 3/3/25

Cheating On Call Part 2

Midwives, on-call time is not your time. Your time belongs to the patients that may need you and the institution/entity that is paying you to be available for patients who require your presence. While on-call, your time should not be dedicated to your family, young baby, toddler, partner, or your much-needed rest. I do not deny that this is hard.

Martha Merrill-Hall 2/27/25 Martha Merrill-Hall 2/27/25

Medical and Midwifery Burnout Part 3(b)

Hospital corporate business is BIG business. Making money is the mission.