Aloha kakou, There are two bills in the Hawaii legislature that Josh Green has introduced that

are of great concern and would have a devastating impact on homebirth. They need to be stopped and through our grassroots effort can be. Hawaiis Circle of Midwives (broad coalition of birth practitioners and supporters) is asking for you to join our effort and hui. If you want to join our hui send an email to susanstubbs50@yahoo.com . The bills are in the Senate and need to be stopped before they go on to the Representatives. When you call or write use plenty aloha and stay in the aloha. If you go down to the capitol look beautiful and strong, bring flowers for secretaries or cookies or just your smile. Bring your babies with you. A doula contacted Josh's office and they are telling people that he talked to the midwives and said they are on board. THIS IS HARDLY THE TRUTH...answer back with....if you carefully look at the language of the bill none of the practitioners would be able to be licensed, thus the option of having an attended homebirth would be eliminated , forcing women that choose homebirth to do so without experienced help. Mahalo them for passing on the message to the senator you called and end the call. If they respond with a similar untruth please contact us with the statement, date and who you talked to. A big mahalo....stay in the love....we will always prevail. We must act with crystal clear intelligence. Circle of Midwives I attached to this email the main points to focus on.we decided on these from what the legislators (senate) are Call and/or write ASAP and send this all over we need hundreds or thousands to speak out NOW There are two bills that Senator Green wrote RE: SB 2569 Relating to Home Birth, that will end homebirth and SB 2070 relating to Naturopathy which is insulting to Naturopathic Doctors and unnecessary. Senator Green has written SB2569 a bill that defines the scope of practice for health care providers without an in depth understanding that comes with being a member of that profession. He is infringing upon womens rites/rights.

Sen Josh Green sengreen@capitol.hawaii.gov 808 586-9385 fax 808 586-9391 . Senator Rosalyn Baker senbaker@capitol.hawaii.gov 808 586-6070 fax 586-6071 Sen Suzanne Chun-Oakland senchunoakland@capitol.hawaii.gov808 586-6130 Senator Clarence Nishihara sennishihara@capitol.hawaii.gov 808 586-6970 Senator Sam Slom senslom@capitol.hawaii.gov 808 586-8420
REGULAR SESSION OF 2014

http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2014/bills/SB2569_.pdf Honorable Senate Committee Health Chair Green, Vice Chair Baker and Committee Members,

Hearing ____________(date) Rm_____________

RE: SB 2569 Relating to Home Birth (First paragraph tell them briefly who you are ie. I had a home birth etc., or I am long time supporter of the home birth movement or I am a constituent in your district and feel I need to let you know) I am respectfully asking that you oppose this bill for the following reasons. (1) The claim this bill makes that home birth is not as safe as hospital birth, (stated on p. 1 lines 14-18) comes from a meta-analysis by Wax et al which is inherently flawed. In a 2011 scientific review of Waxs meta-analysis, I quote in this article we describe in detail numerous mistakes in design, methodology, and reporting in the Wax meta-analysis that place clinicians and patients at risk of being misinformed. (2) Looking at our specific local statistics, home births show the lowest mortality risk outcome group: (Data from Hawaii Dept of Vital Statistics and Dept of Health, Office of Health Status monitoring) Hawaii= 18,000 total births/year (2300 Big Island )Vital Statistics DATA 1. Average fetal deaths/year: average per year from 2004-2011=1000 per year (5.5%) 2. Hawaii C-section rate: 25% of births in Hawaii Big island, 30% Oahu 25% 3. 345 home births/2012 year ... total fetal deaths 20042013= <1 per year (.5%) (3) The approach of this bill is neither reasonable nor practical. First there would be so few practitioners eligible for licensing the way this bill is written, it would essentially eliminate the option of finding a legal home birth attendant. Second, it would be financially impossible to sustain a 13 member board. Third, a home birth safety board is proposed where 10 of the 13 members are hospital based practitioners, neither knowledgeable or trained in safe home birthing. And fourth, this bill is asking home birth practitioners to be licensed and trained in a physicians or nurse midwives model, and yet home birthing is inherently a different practice. It is clear that mothers choose home birthing specifically for the reason that it IS a different practice.

Members of the home birth movement have chosen their form of care not thru faulty understanding of medical principles, but as a result of active and reasoned disagreement with them.
(4) Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it is the right of every birthing mother to choose where, with whom, and how she feels best to birth their child, in accordance with self-determination and in the context of cultural, traditional, spiritual or personal beliefs. (First Amendment right) Legal options need to be available. In addition, Traditional practitioners are not mentioned in this bill and they must be exempt from regulation. In conclusion, if there is a problem, FIRST DIAGNOSE IT. Best results are obtained when we are clear about WHAT the problem is caused by BEFORE treating it. We are asking that the legislature direct a diverse ad hoc committee created equally from the both hospital and home birth communities to study the safety of home and hospital births locally, nationally and internationally, and return to the legislature next year with their findings.

RE: SB 2070 Relating to Naturopathy (First paragraph - tell them briefly who you are ie.... I am Dr. Lori Kimata, Naturopathic Physician... or I have had my two births at home with Dr. Kimata or Dr. Hahn (or whoever you ND is.... or I am a long time patient and supporter of Naturopathic Medicine... etc.) (3) The approach of this bill is neither reasonable nor practical. First there would be so few practitioners eligible for licensing the way this bill is written, it would essentially eliminate the option of finding a legal home birth attendant. Second, it would be financially impossible to sustain a 13 member board. Third, a home birth safety board is proposed where 10 of the 13 members are hospital based practitioners, neither knowledgeable or trained in safe home birthing. And fourth, this bill is asking home birth practitioners to be licensed and trained in a physicians or nurse midwives model, and yet home birthing is inherently a different practice. It is clear that mothers choose home birthing specifically for the reason that it is a different practice. Members of the home birth movement

have chosen their form of care not thru faulty understanding of medical principles, but as a result of active and reasoned disagreement with them.

(4) Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it is the right of every birthing mother to choose where, with whom, and how she feels best to birth their child, in accordance with self-determination and in the context of cultural, traditional, spiritual or personal beliefs. (First Amendment right) Legal options need to be available. In addition, Traditional practitioners are not mentioned in this bill and they must be exempt from regulation. In conclusion, if there is a problem, FIRST DIAGNOSE IT. Best results are obtained when we are clear about WHAT the problem is if possible, what the problem is caused by BEFORE treating. We are asking that the legislature direct a diverse ad hoc committee created equally from the both hospital and home birth communities to study the safety of home and hospital births locally, nationally and internationally, and return to the legislature next year with their findings. Mahalo for your consideration. Sincerely, (Print and Sign name)