A Brief History of Midwifery in Minnesota
And other Historical Notes of Interest to give Perspectives
1891- The first 254 Traditional Midwives Registered, after legislation supported by Senators William W. Mayo of Rochester and Dr. John Bell of Minneapolis and Representative Dr. Werner Hemstead of Brainerd.
1906- Minnesota Statute 4983 allows for the Licensure of Midwives upon production of a diploma from a school of midwifery recognized by the Board of Medical Examiners (BME) or after examination of the applicant. The fee for licenses is $1.00 for diploma holders and $2.00 for those who sit the exam.
1908- 208 Traditional Midwives Licensed-on the Official List of Licensed Midwives in the State of Minnesota.
1913- Hospital Deliveries were a little over 20% in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
1921 to 1929- The Shepherd-Towner Maternity and Infant Protection Act offered money to State Government for Education of the Public. One of the Education pieces for the State of Minnesota was the Correspondence Study Course in the Hygiene of Maternity and Infancy, which was made up of 15 lessons and test questions to be returned by mail. Lesson 7. Confinement and Preparation for Confinement. Promoted “Engaging the Doctor and the Nurse”. They also promoted “Many women nowadays prefer to have their babies in a hospital. Then, of course, the trouble of preparing for delivery at home is spared and the woman has only to prepare clothes for the baby. As yet, however, only a few women are so situated that they can be confined at a hospital. Where such a course is possible, it is better and more convenient than the home-but for the present, at least, a large number must remain at home. Women having their first babies, and particularly those having complications, should make an effort to be delivered in a hospital.”
1922- Minnesota State Board of Medical Examiners instructed Midwife after hearing that she is not to Practice Medicine which included the following” to practice midwifery did not include the use of forceps, anaesthetics nor the operation of sewing up tears or any other surgical operation”
1924- A Survey of the Midwife Situation in Minnesota is printed. 118 Licensed Midwives (although Minnesota State Board of Medical Examiners and Board of Health felt this did not represent the true number of practicing midwives)
1925- Nurse-midwifery came to America via England-trained CNMs. Led by Mary Breckenridge in the Appalachian mountains of Kentucky
1927- 119 Traditional Midwives licensed. Physicians attended 91.6% of births and 4.7% were informants.
1927- Basic Science Law Passed. A.J. Chelsey talks about the Basic Science exam. "You will note that it appears to cover midwives since it states’ or any condition or conditions incident to pregnancy or childbirth’ (page 11 of enclosed pamphlet). It is very unlikely that any midwives will be able to pass the Basic Science examination.”
1932- 85 Traditional Midwives licensed to Practice in Minnesota.
1939- Last new license to Practice Traditional Midwifery was issued to Martha Datzman of Pine River number 769.
1950- In the United States approximately 4.5-4.9% of births were attended by midwives.
1958- 10 Traditional Midwives Licensed in Minnesota
1960-In the United States 2.0-2.2% of Births were attended by midwives.
1963- There were only 495 known nurse-midwives in the United States. Midwives attended 0.3% of white live births and 9.1% of non-white births, in 1963.
1970- 4 Traditional Midwives remained licensed for the year. Martha Datzman-Pine River, Mrs. Hilda Sofie Ekstrom-Duluth, Ebba O. Kirschbaum-St. Paul, and Mrs. Signe Nilsen-Minneapolis
1971- First nurse-midwifery practice in MN established at Long Prairie
1971- The first nurse-midwifery practice was established at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis with Margaret Hewitt as its head.
1971- The last year Ebba Kirschbaum and Martha Datzman renewed their License to Practice Midwifery, according to Minnesota Board of Medical Practice
1974- First nurse-midwifery class is admitted to the U of M.
1975 or 76- Genesis, a group of direct-entry midwives within Minnesota, is founded.
1980 to 1991- Birth Community, Inc. was formed and supported a range of alternatives in birth and parenting including Home Birth. Birth community was an affiliate of the International Association of Parents and Professional for Safe Alternatives in Childbirth.
1984- June - Ebba Kirschbaum 87 years old Minnesota’s last licensed Traditional Midwife dies. She left a legacy of attending over 1600 home births. She moved to Hawaii in 1974 and last renewed her license in 1984; she was first licensed in 1935.
1985- Minnesota Association of Midwives is established, although membership was small, 6-8 at any given time, half of the members were from the Twin Cities area.
1988- In the Fall, the Genesis Guild and the Minnesota Association of Midwives (formed three years earlier by Jill Kent), collectively decided to merge the ‘Genesis Guild’ and the ‘Minnesota Association of Midwives’ into the ‘Minnesota Midwives Guild’. This became the first ever statewide, cohesive organization of direct entry midwives in the State of Minnesota. This organization became a peer-review group of direct-entry midwives
1989- HF1289/SF1097, Home Birth legislation, authored by Senator Sandra Pappas in the Minnesota Senate fails to pass.
1991-1992- Public hearings and meetings of the Midwifery Study Advisory Group are sponsored by the Department of Health and the Board of Medical Practice (BMP) to determine whether Minnesota direct-entry midwives should be regulated. Consumers unite under the name Parents Coalition for Homebirth, for the purpose of having their voices heard as part of the advisory group.
1992- Final report of the Midwifery Study Advisory Group recommends that direct-entry midwives be regulated in some way and that MMG standards serve as a model for all midwives. Birth Community Inc, whose membership has dropped off in recent years, formally disbands.
1993- License Rule Writing Group is constituted by the BMP to write the rules for licensing direct-entry Midwives in the state. This group includes any interested midwives, student midwives, and consumers, as well as representatives of nursing, nurse-midwifery, medicine, and the attorney general’s office.
1994- BMP suspends the License Rule Writing Group based on a number of complaints, particularly from the established medical communities. BMP reconvenes the License Rule Writing Group and presents a draft of the rules that limits practices of direct-entry midwives. BMP invests several thousand dollars in having NARM exam psychometrically validated but then suspends the License Rule Writing Group once more when it discovers that licensing fees would exceed the direct-entry midwives abilities to pay
1995- Need for an organized consumer voice is called for and the Minnesota Friends of Midwives is founded.
1995- Minnesota Midwives Guild’s (MMG) Epidemiological Study of Midwife-Attended Homebirths in Minnesota 1990-1996, prepared by the MANA Statistics and Research Committee under Ken C. Johnson and Betty-Anne Daviss-Putt is presented to the Board of Medical Practice. Later that same year, participating members of MMG vote to lay to rest their organization and become Minnesota Council of Certified Professional Midwives (MCCPM), to align with the NARM credential and have formal membership agreements. Largely based on the Study presentation and the work of NARM on a national level, the BMP forms the Midwifery Task Force, which meets over the next year to write the scope of practice section for licensing direct-entry midwives. MCCPM, the only profession direct-entry midwife organization in the state, is invited to participate. This effort fails when there are strong calls for physician oversight of midwifery practice that would negatively affect physician liability and limit backup for midwives.
1998- January Town Meeting was called for the Homebirth Community. Sponsored by Minnesotan’s for Midwifery and Minnesota Midwives Guild. Later that year Minnesotan’s for Midwifery changes it’s name to Minnesota Families for Midwifery.
1998- Two direct-entry midwives, one a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) and the other a Traditional Midwife, are criminally investigated by the state Attorney General’s Office and advised to suspend their practices. Midwifery Now! Is created as an umbrella for other midwives to support new legislative and grassroots efforts, and the state’s direct-entry midwives are now represented by two groups: MCCPM and Midwifery Now!
1999- May 5, 1999, on International Midwives Day, the voluntary licensure bill for Midwifery (Minnesota Statute, Chapter 147D) was passed in the House and Senate, reactivating the 1906 licensing law and makes licensing an option for direct-entry midwives who are CPM’s. Authors were Senator Sandra Pappas and Representative Jim Abeler. Governor Ventura did not sign the bill, but it was passed without his signature.
1999- The BMP meets in July to begin the licensing process for the first applicants. The Midwifery Advisory Council, constituted under the Statute, recommends for licensing the first group of applicants. The Midwifery Advisory Council is a 5 member Advisory Council made up of 3 Licensed Midwives, One Physician and One Home Birth Family, submitted by Minnesota Families for Midwifery.
2000- Licenses given to 8 midwives, which was the first time in over 60 years! Fee is $100.00.
“May 16, Jill Kent of Hendrum, Minnesota, Sylvia Kosloski of Milaca, Minnesota and Kathy Ruggles of Downsville, Wisconsin, become the first licensed applicants of the New Midwifery Law”.
And there were five more in 2000: Laura Erickson of Blomkest, Bridget Mastel of Ironton, Jan Hofer of Bloomington, Kim Garrett of Edina and Kerry Dixon of St. Paul.
2000- Minnesota Families for Midwifery becomes a non-profit for the purpose of supporting Midwifery. 1) To provide education on midwifery and the midwifery model of care; 2) To promote midwife attended births at home, at birth centers and at hospitals; 3) To assist citizens interested in promoting the midwifery model of care.
2002- The Stork’s Nest, a free-standing birth center, is opened in Moorhead, MN, by Jill Kent, the first licensed direct-entry midwife in the state under the updated law.
2002- There are approximately 145 certified nurse-midwives practicing throughout the state in different capacities including some that attend home births.
2002- 10 Traditional Midwives licensed in Minnesota.
2004- 181 Certified Nurse-Midwives licensed by the Minnesota Board of Nursing. Eight Traditional Midwives Licensed by the Minnesota Board of Medical Practice.
2004- The Stork’s Nest closes due to third-party reimbursement issues
Midwives attend 8% of births in the US and 8.6% of births in Minnesota.
