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(logo music)

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(insects chirping)

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(gentle music)

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Hello.

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Good morning.

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How's Lily been?

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Well, she's doing well.

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Any concerns?

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Not other than her spitting up,

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she still spits up a lot.

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(baby crying)

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Hi pumpkin

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Can I take a look at you?

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Lily. Are you kinda ticklish?

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Her belly feels nice and soft.

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(gentle music)

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US maternal mortality rate

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continues to steadily increase.

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This new report found 36%

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of US counties are maternity care deserts.

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Places with no OBGYN doctors,

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hospitals providing
obstetric care, birth centers

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or certified nurse midwives.

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These figures have worsened
over the past two years

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with the number of maternity
care deserts increasing.

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Two out of three.

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Oh, today is baby day.

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Working on number three for today.

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So

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full moon you know

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so, okay.

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phone ringing

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Hi.

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Yes, this is Joe calling.

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And she wasn't sure if you were at home.

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No, well, you'll probably
beat me down there.

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All right.

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Probably be ready when we
get there the way it looks.

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Oh boy, okay, bye.

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Shit!

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All right, they're already inside.

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I'm here.

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Okay.

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Maybe I can just check and see
what's going on real quick.

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My water just broke, it's gonna come.

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Okay, all right, go ahead.

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(person groaning)

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Breath into that pressure.

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(person groaning)

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That’s it.

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There you go.

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(person laughing)

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There, you got a little boy.

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Baby crying.

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Thank God you came.

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(person laughing)

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(baby crying)

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(siren whirring)

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A Penn Yan woman

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is in jail for illegally working

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as a midwife.

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53yearold Elizabeth Catlin is accused

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of unauthorized practice
of the profession.

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We heard a very loud pounding on the door.

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I just opened the door
and he flashed a badge

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and he slapped the cuffs on.

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The first thing I thought was

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wow, they're actually arresting a midwife

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for helping people have babies.

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Why are you doing this?

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There's not enough midwives.

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And then the ones we do have,
what, let's arrest them.

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(sirens)

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When Liz was arrested,

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it actually made me feel angry.

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It was a shock for her
to be treated that way.

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It was very hard for me
to, everybody loved her

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and she was such a good midwife.

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I’m praying for you. Thank you.

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Case number two on the calendar,

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the people versus Elizabeth Catlin.

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I believe I've delivered close to 500.

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I was at 480 something
before I was arrested.

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(gentle music)

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(cart wheels on snow)

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(people chattering)

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Hello young man.

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(people laughing)

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Hi sweetheart.

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Thank you for coming
to the basket auction.

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As you know, we are coming
together to help raise money

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for Liz's legal fees.

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And for all the people

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that didn't bring money,

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after you go home, you can
send your money to Liz.

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I just saw this other one.

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My other name is Mom.

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(people laughing)

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How are you doing?

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Good.
Good.

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I'm pregnant again.

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You are?

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Yes, congratulations.

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You're not doing any births.

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Not yet, not now, I can't.

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I know.

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Sorry.

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Who are you getting?

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Oh, nobody yet but.

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Being a midwife definitely is a calling.

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The mother reaches down,
pulls the baby to her,

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and that's just, that's just amazing.

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There's no other feeling like to know

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that I was part of that process.

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Oh my word, look at you.

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Once I became a home birth
midwife, I started getting calls

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and I'll never forget the
first time I got a call

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from a Mennonite woman, she
asked if I was available

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to attend her next birth.

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And then more women started
calling and they kept calling.

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It's been a shock for your community

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for all those ladies that
were already pregnant

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and didn't know how it was gonna
go or what was gonna happen

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or how they were gonna,
where they were gonna be

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or who could be with them.

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That's.....that’s hard.

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Yeah.

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When Liz was arrested

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and she had to stop
practicing, I was retired,

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but I was able to say, I'll come
and do some births

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when there were people falling through the cracks.

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You know, the people had
been talking about you

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that you filled in and
I said, I never met you, so.

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It's very hard for
the Mennonite families

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to accept that they don't
have the right to have Liz.

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Hey girls, look this way.

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Children.

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(person laughing)

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Babies.

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She evolved in this community as a midwife

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and she provided what
they were looking for.

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(horses hooves on road, vehicles whooshing by )

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(gentle music)

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(hooves clopping)

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The Mennonites say.

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(speaking in Pennslyvania Dutch)

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Which means staying apart from the world.

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We drive horse and buggy.

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We don't have a lot of technology.

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We're friendly with everybody,

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but we stay in our own cultures,

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our own homes and our own churches,

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our own small world.

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(speaking in Pennsylvania Dutch)

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The most important work that we have

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to do in our life is raising our children.

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(feet landing on table)

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Even if some days you wish
you wouldn't have them.

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Home birth is just another thing

00:09:00.966 --> 00:09:03.933
that has been passed down
from generation to generation.

00:09:03.933 --> 00:09:06.366
My mom did it, my grandma
did it, my aunts did it.

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My cousins did it.

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Everybody just had their babies at home

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and all of a sudden
we're not being allowed

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to have a midwife of our choice.

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(footsteps crunching)

00:09:22.700 --> 00:09:25.833
The Mennonite community
has been just wonderful.

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I have been receiving
cards and letters daily,

00:09:34.700 --> 00:09:37.866
but emotionally has been hard.

00:09:40.766 --> 00:09:43.333
I did sell my house to pay my attorney.

00:09:55.900 --> 00:09:58.433
"We all know you're not
guilty of those things

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they blamed you with.

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We all know you did all you could for us.

00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:04.466
Don't give up Liz.

00:10:04.466 --> 00:10:08.300
Sometimes the darkest
hour is just before dawn."

00:10:08.300 --> 00:10:10.900
(gentle music)

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I got a call from my attorney

00:10:23.966 --> 00:10:26.866
and he said the grand jury had convened,

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they've indicted you on 95 felony counts.

00:10:36.233 --> 00:10:38.933
They are charging you with
the death of that baby.

00:10:40.766 --> 00:10:43.866
And I just, I couldn't believe it.

00:10:45.666 --> 00:10:47.700
Your name, Elizabeth Catlin.

00:10:47.700 --> 00:10:50.766
Court notes the charges 95 counts.

00:10:50.766 --> 00:10:54.366
Count one, criminally negative
homicide in county of Yates,

00:10:54.366 --> 00:10:57.433
the defendant paused the
death Joseph E. Martin.

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Count two, the crime of
unauthorized practice

00:11:01.833 --> 00:11:04.233
of the profession of midwifery.

00:11:05.033 --> 00:11:07.033
All right, Miss Catlin court now inquires

00:11:07.033 --> 00:11:10.300
how do you plead to the charges
set forth in the indictment?

00:11:10.300 --> 00:11:11.366
Guilty or not guilty.

00:11:11.366 --> 00:11:12.666
Not guilty.

00:11:12.666 --> 00:11:15.300
So noted, Mr. Cassela
as a district attorney,

00:11:15.300 --> 00:11:16.133
have you done all that is required

00:11:16.133 --> 00:11:17.633
to bring this case to a point

00:11:17.633 --> 00:11:18.666
where it may be tried?

00:11:18.666 --> 00:11:19.566
Yes your honor.

00:11:22.900 --> 00:11:26.233
All rise or remain in place

00:11:31.133 --> 00:11:32.433
Be a complex jury trial

00:11:32.433 --> 00:11:36.166
'cause the jury's gonna have
to analyze all the evidence

00:11:36.166 --> 00:11:39.066
and try to apply to 95 separate charges.

00:11:39.066 --> 00:11:40.333
Normally we have indictments

00:11:40.333 --> 00:11:41.300
one, two, three counts.

00:11:41.900 --> 00:11:46.000
Four counts, so this is an
unusual set of circumstances.

00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:47.366
Okay, thank you.
Thank you.

00:11:47.366 --> 00:11:48.900
Have a nice day everybody.

00:11:49.666 --> 00:11:51.066
Well they seem prepared.

00:11:52.000 --> 00:11:55.766
My training is not
recognized by the state,

00:11:55.766 --> 00:11:59.333
but I know I'm not guilty
of the death of that baby.

00:12:03.700 --> 00:12:07.533
Hi everybody, welcome
to NRP and BLSCPR today.

00:12:07.533 --> 00:12:09.133
My name's Jennifer Nelson.

00:12:09.133 --> 00:12:12.333
I am a midwife from
the Pittsburgh PA area.

00:12:12.333 --> 00:12:15.633
So today we are gonna work on
how to resuscitate a baby

00:12:15.633 --> 00:12:17.100
that needs a little extra help

00:12:17.100 --> 00:12:18.233
transitioning from womb to world

00:12:18.233 --> 00:12:20.300
'cause one out of every 10 babies will.

00:12:20.500 --> 00:12:21.466
Everybody can come on in.

00:12:25.166 --> 00:12:28.500
Okay, I am a VBAC mom.

00:12:28.500 --> 00:12:30.633
I've been in labor for 36 hours.

00:12:30.633 --> 00:12:31.466
Oh geez.

00:12:32.133 --> 00:12:34.633
Ruptured for 23 and I've been pushing

00:12:34.766 --> 00:12:36.666
for two and a half hours

00:12:36.666 --> 00:12:39.533
and I finally birth baby's head

00:12:39.533 --> 00:12:41.533
and we've got a big baby.

00:12:41.800 --> 00:12:43.066
Oh, here comes baby.

00:12:43.100 --> 00:12:44.866
Melissa, can you grab the blankets here?

00:12:44.866 --> 00:12:45.533
Oh.

00:12:46.100 --> 00:12:47.133
I did it.

00:12:47.200 --> 00:12:48.066
You did it.

00:12:48.066 --> 00:12:51.400
Go ahead, pick this leg up and sit
yourself right back down here.

00:12:51.400 --> 00:12:52.166
Right here.

00:12:52.166 --> 00:12:53.233
Oh boy.

00:12:53.233 --> 00:12:54.766
I birthed the person out of that one.

00:12:54.766 --> 00:12:55.833
You sure did.

00:12:55.833 --> 00:12:56.866
Sure, yeah.

00:12:56.866 --> 00:12:59.500
Let's get some suction,
we have a little meconium.

00:12:59.500 --> 00:13:01.933
What do we got for
respirations and heart rate?

00:13:01.933 --> 00:13:02.733
Nothing here.

00:13:02.733 --> 00:13:04.066
Limp blue, floppy baby.

00:13:04.066 --> 00:13:05.233
Oh, we're gonna need some suction.

00:13:05.233 --> 00:13:06.566
With some bruising to their face.

00:13:06.566 --> 00:13:07.733
You keep talking to your baby.

00:13:07.733 --> 00:13:09.133
He knows your voice.

00:13:09.133 --> 00:13:10.466
Hi baby.

00:13:10.633 --> 00:13:12.500
Let's go ahead and give him a breath.

00:13:12.500 --> 00:13:14.000
He still hasn't responded.

00:13:14.066 --> 00:13:17.533
Breathe, one, two, breathe, breathe, one, two.

00:13:17.533 --> 00:13:19.366
Come on, baby, you can do it.

00:13:19.366 --> 00:13:21.366
What do we have here now?

00:13:21.366 --> 00:13:23.100
Any response from baby?

00:13:23.100 --> 00:13:24.200
No.

00:13:24.200 --> 00:13:25.500
Let's just take a listen.

00:13:26.166 --> 00:13:28.000
Thunk, thunk, thunk.

00:13:28.233 --> 00:13:29.633
Not very good, yep.

00:13:29.633 --> 00:13:30.566
Chest compressions.

00:13:30.566 --> 00:13:32.300
One, two, and three and breathe.

00:13:32.300 --> 00:13:34.033
One, two, and three and breathe.

00:13:34.033 --> 00:13:34.866
Go ahead and get a heart rate.

00:13:34.866 --> 00:13:36.466
Okay, let's check this out again.

00:13:36.600 --> 00:13:38.033
(phone ringing)

00:13:38.266 --> 00:13:39.400
Someone else is in labor.

00:13:39.400 --> 00:13:41.500
Okay, now let's try this heart rate again.

00:13:41.500 --> 00:13:43.100
Thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk.

00:13:43.100 --> 00:13:44.766
Oh, we got a good baby here, mom.

00:13:44.766 --> 00:13:45.933
I think you're gonna be fine.

00:13:45.933 --> 00:13:47.200
There we go.

00:13:47.200 --> 00:13:49.500
Now you keep this baby right up with you

00:13:49.500 --> 00:13:52.833
and keep talking to it because
we want her to stay with us.

00:13:52.833 --> 00:13:53.366
Hi.

00:13:53.366 --> 00:13:54.766
There you go, good job.

00:13:54.766 --> 00:13:56.533
My goodness. That was hard work for me too.

00:13:56.533 --> 00:13:57.766
Keep nice and warm.

00:13:57.766 --> 00:13:59.166
Oh my.

00:13:59.433 --> 00:14:01.533
Yeah, it was hard work
for both of us, right?

00:14:01.533 --> 00:14:02.466
Yeah.

00:14:02.700 --> 00:14:04.466
Well, you guys are all
doing a fantastic job

00:14:04.466 --> 00:14:06.100
at neonatal resuscitation.

00:14:06.100 --> 00:14:08.633
Is there anything that
anybody has any questions on

00:14:08.633 --> 00:14:09.933
in regards to NRP?

00:14:09.933 --> 00:14:12.700
See, I think our biggest
problem in resuscitation

00:14:12.700 --> 00:14:16.433
is not being licensed, is being who I am

00:14:16.433 --> 00:14:18.400
and be able to tell people that come

00:14:18.400 --> 00:14:23.366
like if you have to call 911,
do you say I'm a midwife?

00:14:23.800 --> 00:14:25.133
Yes.

00:14:25.133 --> 00:14:26.800
I don't think I would.

00:14:26.800 --> 00:14:29.133
I might say I'm a nurse,
I live down the road.

00:14:29.133 --> 00:14:31.466
Or some stupid scenario.

00:14:31.466 --> 00:14:32.500
Are you in New York.

00:14:32.500 --> 00:14:34.133
Yes. We all are.

00:14:34.133 --> 00:14:35.200
Okay.

00:14:35.200 --> 00:14:36.366
Were all in New York.

00:14:36.366 --> 00:14:37.566
No, it's a terrible situation.

00:14:37.566 --> 00:14:40.633
So I would probably just say
I was their birth attendant.

00:14:40.633 --> 00:14:44.066
I'm in NRP, my card is current.

00:14:44.066 --> 00:14:47.733
And this is the difference
between NRP and CPR.

00:14:47.733 --> 00:14:52.266
It's one breath to three
compressions and teach them.

00:14:52.266 --> 00:14:53.733
And then they're gonna
be a lot less likely

00:14:53.733 --> 00:14:55.233
to throw you under the bus when they know

00:14:55.233 --> 00:14:58.000
you have more education than they have.

00:14:58.000 --> 00:14:59.200
I was in the closet.

00:14:59.200 --> 00:15:01.866
I taught someone to hold
onto the mom's uterus

00:15:02.800 --> 00:15:05.000
'cause she was really bleeding, had to go

00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:07.933
and I was in the closet
when the ambulance came.

00:15:07.933 --> 00:15:08.833
Wow!

00:15:09.033 --> 00:15:11.000
I know, you've got that
fear in you though.

00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:11.533
Yeah.

00:15:11.533 --> 00:15:14.166
And even if all perfectly

00:15:14.166 --> 00:15:16.466
on the scene with the ambulance people

00:15:16.466 --> 00:15:18.366
and everything, and
they get to the hospital

00:15:18.366 --> 00:15:20.433
and they tell them how
perfectly it all went

00:15:20.433 --> 00:15:23.000
with this midwife that
knew what she was doing

00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:25.466
and they turn around and turned in.

00:15:28.300 --> 00:15:29.966
Elizabeth, today we're going

00:15:29.966 --> 00:15:32.000
to officially advise the judge

00:15:32.000 --> 00:15:34.866
that you're not going to
accept a negotiated offer.

00:15:34.866 --> 00:15:38.533
So the deal on the table
that Liz is rejecting,

00:15:38.533 --> 00:15:40.633
what was the nature of the deal?

00:15:40.866 --> 00:15:43.666
To plead guilty to criminally
negligent homicide,

00:15:45.033 --> 00:15:46.533
unauthorized practice.

00:15:46.533 --> 00:15:48.066
You'd have three felonies.

00:15:48.066 --> 00:15:50.700
The alternative, obviously
if you proceed to trial

00:15:50.700 --> 00:15:53.233
that you know you could theoretically

00:15:53.233 --> 00:15:56.366
be looking at much more jail
time if you're convicted.

00:15:57.000 --> 00:16:00.000
Okay, Michael, any
questions about anything?

00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:01.000
I'm good.

00:16:01.033 --> 00:16:03.500
There were a number of
midwives in New York

00:16:03.500 --> 00:16:06.200
who I had worked with over years

00:16:06.200 --> 00:16:08.566
and they brought the case to my attention

00:16:08.566 --> 00:16:12.766
and the discussion revolved
around how midwifery

00:16:12.766 --> 00:16:15.500
needed to be changed in New York.

00:16:15.500 --> 00:16:18.533
What ended up happening
was a tragic event,

00:16:18.533 --> 00:16:22.600
but Liz Catlin is a certified
professional midwife.

00:16:22.600 --> 00:16:27.066
She's someone who has gone
through both the education,

00:16:27.066 --> 00:16:32.033
the testing, the on the job
training over many years,

00:16:32.033 --> 00:16:35.833
which qualifies her to be attending women

00:16:35.833 --> 00:16:37.400
in this function.

00:16:38.366 --> 00:16:41.133
But in New York, that's disallowed.

00:17:03.800 --> 00:17:05.433
Hi, this is Elizabeth Catlin.

00:17:05.433 --> 00:17:06.500
I'm from Penn Yen.

00:17:06.833 --> 00:17:08.333
Hi, I'm Nubia Martin.

00:17:08.333 --> 00:17:10.866
I'm copresident of NYCPM.

00:17:10.866 --> 00:17:14.033
I am a community birth worker in Yorkers.

00:17:14.033 --> 00:17:15.400
My name is Gayle Eckey.

00:17:15.400 --> 00:17:19.400
I am a founding board member of NYCPM.

00:17:19.400 --> 00:17:20.866
My name is Carmen Mojica.

00:17:20.866 --> 00:17:24.966
I am one also one of the
founding members of NYCPM.

00:17:24.966 --> 00:17:28.466
I'm Melissa Carman, I am a CPM.

00:17:28.466 --> 00:17:31.133
And Liz being arrested.

00:17:31.133 --> 00:17:33.300
There's like such a sense of urgency

00:17:33.300 --> 00:17:37.333
because there's rumors going
around that there's more CPMs

00:17:37.333 --> 00:17:38.333
that are being targeted.

00:17:38.333 --> 00:17:39.866
Hi, my name is Sequoia Kemp.

00:17:39.866 --> 00:17:42.733
In Syracuse, New York, people are looking

00:17:42.733 --> 00:17:45.633
for, you know, black midwives,
black home birth midwives,

00:17:45.633 --> 00:17:48.500
and there are none in our community.

00:17:48.500 --> 00:17:49.733
I'm Linda Schutt.

00:17:49.733 --> 00:17:50.766
I'm a licensed midwife

00:17:50.766 --> 00:17:52.233
and I was on the board of midwifery

00:17:52.233 --> 00:17:53.400
for many, many years.

00:17:53.400 --> 00:17:54.933
Over the last 30 years,

00:17:54.933 --> 00:17:57.300
what's acceptable in New
York has become narrower

00:17:57.300 --> 00:18:00.500
and narrower and we've lost a pathway

00:18:00.500 --> 00:18:02.366
for out of hospital midwives

00:18:02.366 --> 00:18:05.600
and the outcomes have gotten poorer.

00:18:05.866 --> 00:18:08.366
In New York, black women are dying

00:18:08.366 --> 00:18:09.366
eight to 12 times more.

00:18:09.366 --> 00:18:11.800
I believe that's directly
connected to the fact

00:18:11.800 --> 00:18:13.400
that we are one of the only states

00:18:13.400 --> 00:18:16.333
that does not recognize
the CPM credential.

00:18:16.333 --> 00:18:20.433
I've seen a great exodus
of midwives from New York

00:18:20.433 --> 00:18:24.266
specifically because it's really
difficult to practice here.

00:18:24.266 --> 00:18:26.566
No matter where a midwife
works, we are not seen

00:18:26.566 --> 00:18:28.866
as valuable in the healthcare system

00:18:28.866 --> 00:18:30.766
and we keep changing the laws

00:18:30.766 --> 00:18:32.866
and we keep changing the requirements.

00:18:32.866 --> 00:18:35.866
In the beginning, direct
entry midwife was just fine.

00:18:35.866 --> 00:18:38.533
Then it became you needed
to become a nurse first.

00:18:38.533 --> 00:18:41.666
Then it became you have to have a masters.

00:18:41.666 --> 00:18:44.466
How many more times are we
going to increase the cost

00:18:44.466 --> 00:18:46.866
of education so that
people that look like me

00:18:46.866 --> 00:18:49.133
or people within their community

00:18:49.133 --> 00:18:51.100
can't afford to become midwives?

00:18:51.933 --> 00:18:55.466
My job as the prosecutor,
my oath that I swore

00:18:55.466 --> 00:18:57.833
is to enforce the laws
and the law in New York

00:18:57.833 --> 00:18:59.566
says you must be a
registered nurse midwife.

00:19:00.400 --> 00:19:02.933
The United States is a unique country

00:19:02.933 --> 00:19:04.466
in that the states are
given a lot of authority

00:19:04.466 --> 00:19:07.366
to pass laws the state
feel are appropriate.

00:19:07.366 --> 00:19:10.133
This isn't an insignificant
event, childbirth.

00:19:10.133 --> 00:19:12.566
It can mean the life or death

00:19:12.566 --> 00:19:14.266
of the mother and or the child.

00:19:14.433 --> 00:19:16.766
And the state of New York has said

00:19:16.766 --> 00:19:19.200
certain requirements are required for it.

00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:21.466
I don't find that to be unreasonable.

00:19:31.600 --> 00:19:33.933
I am gonna grab this side, pull this down.

00:19:33.933 --> 00:19:35.333
We'll kind of get the bed ready.

00:19:35.333 --> 00:19:37.766
I have a feeling she'll be pushing soon.

00:19:37.766 --> 00:19:39.233
Go ahead and fluff that one.

00:19:48.600 --> 00:19:50.033
Just nice, slow breathing.

00:19:52.233 --> 00:19:53.833
She's doing so great.

00:19:54.033 --> 00:19:55.200
Can she have it right?

00:19:55.200 --> 00:19:56.533
She can have it right in the water, yeah.

00:19:56.533 --> 00:19:57.666
Really?

00:19:57.666 --> 00:19:59.333
Really, really.

00:20:06.166 --> 00:20:07.966
Baby's excited to meet you.

00:20:10.100 --> 00:20:11.600
Comes another one.

00:20:20.133 --> 00:20:22.966
(person groaning)

00:20:29.900 --> 00:20:30.733
That's the way.

00:20:32.733 --> 00:20:34.200
Nice and easy.

00:20:35.433 --> 00:20:38.366
(person breathing heavily)

00:20:46.533 --> 00:20:47.900
Nice job, Clara.

00:20:54.433 --> 00:20:56.700
Head's out.

00:20:57.766 --> 00:21:00.733
Just keep this down, keep this down.

00:21:00.733 --> 00:21:04.133
Good job, good job.

00:21:06.300 --> 00:21:08.200
There.

00:21:08.600 --> 00:21:10.233
Hold on it's entangled.

00:21:14.966 --> 00:21:16.300
There's your baby.

00:21:17.500 --> 00:21:20.033
(baby crying)

00:21:20.033 --> 00:21:22.033
Yeah, great job.

00:21:33.500 --> 00:21:35.700
What do you think you're
gonna name your little boy?

00:21:35.700 --> 00:21:38.466
I think we might name him Leroy.

00:21:38.466 --> 00:21:40.000
Leroy, aw.

00:21:41.000 --> 00:21:42.833
How much do you think he weighs?

00:21:45.333 --> 00:21:47.600
Felt like 20 pounds, right?

00:21:47.600 --> 00:21:49.000
No, not that bad.

00:21:49.300 --> 00:21:50.966
Not as big as I think.

00:21:50.966 --> 00:21:53.233
(baby crying)

00:21:56.433 --> 00:21:59.533
Ooh, maybe eight.

00:22:01.166 --> 00:22:03.666
(baby crying)

00:22:07.966 --> 00:22:09.000
Eight four.

00:22:14.633 --> 00:22:17.600
Yeah, okay, you got your
legs straight for me.

00:22:17.600 --> 00:22:21.266
I appreciate that, 20 and a quarter.

00:22:28.800 --> 00:22:30.266
14 and a quarter.

00:22:33.366 --> 00:22:36.033
(water flowing)

00:22:55.966 --> 00:22:58.533
(gentle music)

00:23:09.433 --> 00:23:12.233
I am a certified professional midwife.

00:23:12.233 --> 00:23:17.900
I've delivered probably
between 750 to 800 babies.

00:23:19.633 --> 00:23:21.066
After I started school,

00:23:21.066 --> 00:23:23.600
they changed the rules and regulations.

00:23:23.600 --> 00:23:27.500
The state said you do
not have the education

00:23:27.500 --> 00:23:28.866
that we want you to have,

00:23:28.866 --> 00:23:31.066
so therefore you are not allowed to work

00:23:31.066 --> 00:23:33.233
in New York State anymore.

00:23:35.966 --> 00:23:37.300
Knock, knock.

00:23:37.300 --> 00:23:38.466
Come on in.

00:23:38.466 --> 00:23:42.166
Oh my goodness, let's see.

00:23:45.700 --> 00:23:47.433
How's everything been with a baby?

00:23:47.833 --> 00:23:48.933
Very good.

00:23:49.066 --> 00:23:50.300
Lots of messy diapers.

00:23:50.300 --> 00:23:53.166
Okay, they're probably
yellow by now, right?

00:23:53.166 --> 00:23:54.233
Yes.

00:23:54.233 --> 00:23:57.866
Yeah, did your milk come in plenty.

00:23:57.933 --> 00:24:01.300
Is it like his belly right here?

00:24:01.300 --> 00:24:03.666
Is it normal to be like bloody?

00:24:03.666 --> 00:24:07.566
Oh sure, you can use a little just alcohol

00:24:07.566 --> 00:24:08.600
to kind of clean around.

00:24:08.600 --> 00:24:09.666
I've been using alcohol.

00:24:09.666 --> 00:24:10.700
Yeah.

00:24:10.700 --> 00:24:12.566
And the corn starch, you
know, to keep it dry.

00:24:12.566 --> 00:24:13.400
Sure.

00:24:13.900 --> 00:24:17.366
What drives me to do what I'm doing is

00:24:18.566 --> 00:24:20.000
there are hundreds
and hundreds of women

00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:21.466
that need to be served.

00:24:22.466 --> 00:24:23.833
So what do we do?

00:24:36.066 --> 00:24:37.700
It's very pretty for summer.

00:24:37.700 --> 00:24:39.700
A little tighter than
the Liverpool I think.

00:24:39.700 --> 00:24:41.266
And it doesn't stretch
quite as much.

00:24:41.266 --> 00:24:42.866
Yes. Yeah.

00:24:45.033 --> 00:24:45.866
All set.

00:24:46.900 --> 00:24:49.500
(gentle music)

00:24:54.000 --> 00:24:55.833
(birds chirping)

00:24:57.633 --> 00:24:59.633
Brendon I'm gonna let you cut them up.

00:24:59.633 --> 00:25:01.166
Cut them apart.

00:25:01.166 --> 00:25:03.000
Yeah, just cut it out.

00:25:06.366 --> 00:25:09.766
Speaking Pennsylvania Dutch.

00:25:11.466 --> 00:25:12.066
Tristan.

00:25:12.066 --> 00:25:14.933
You can carry all the jars over here.

00:25:15.933 --> 00:25:17.133
Get them out of the rack

00:25:17.133 --> 00:25:20.133
and carry them over to the table.

00:25:20.966 --> 00:25:24.866
With having had eight, I
had some scary moments,

00:25:24.866 --> 00:25:27.400
but I'm not scared of childbirth.

00:25:29.033 --> 00:25:32.233
With my last child,

00:25:32.233 --> 00:25:35.733
she was a big baby and I
chose to go into the hospital

00:25:35.733 --> 00:25:36.833
and do an ultrasound

00:25:36.833 --> 00:25:39.333
and that really opened my eyes

00:25:39.333 --> 00:25:41.633
to what I had with the midwife

00:25:41.633 --> 00:25:46.133
and just the commercial

00:25:46.133 --> 00:25:49.200
type of birthing in there.

00:25:49.200 --> 00:25:53.400
You kind of get fearful
of not being in control

00:25:53.400 --> 00:25:57.066
or made to feel like you
don't have any choices.

00:25:57.066 --> 00:25:59.166
It was not for me.

00:25:59.466 --> 00:26:03.133
Do you remember what grandma
used to do with the peaches?

00:26:03.133 --> 00:26:04.400
With the peels?

00:26:05.733 --> 00:26:08.300
She used to make peach pie with them.

00:26:08.866 --> 00:26:11.866
Put the peels in a pie
and eat the peels too.

00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:15.933
With home birth, the
mother is kind of intuitive

00:26:15.933 --> 00:26:19.033
to what she feels she needs.

00:26:20.333 --> 00:26:21.166
One each.

00:26:22.133 --> 00:26:23.533
Can you count them.

00:26:24.333 --> 00:26:26.133
One, three.

00:26:26.133 --> 00:26:28.800
And I know even the health benefits

00:26:28.800 --> 00:26:31.333
that the baby gets from being allowed

00:26:31.333 --> 00:26:35.433
to be birthed in a slow and easy way.

00:26:36.800 --> 00:26:39.966
That stuff is really important to me.

00:26:39.966 --> 00:26:42.200
I think we feel the medical world is

00:26:42.200 --> 00:26:46.400
kind of infringing on
the edge of the community

00:26:48.300 --> 00:26:51.400
with stuff that has always worked for us.

00:26:51.400 --> 00:26:54.000
(gentle music)

00:26:58.733 --> 00:27:01.800
Women have been helping
women birth their babies

00:27:01.800 --> 00:27:03.200
since the beginning of time.

00:27:04.966 --> 00:27:09.633
There was handson skill and
knowledge that was passed on.

00:27:09.633 --> 00:27:12.633
Many of the early midwives in this country

00:27:12.633 --> 00:27:15.900
were enslaved granny midwives,

00:27:15.900 --> 00:27:19.166
and they were the holders
of that knowledge.

00:27:19.166 --> 00:27:23.766
But in the early 1900s
with the modernization

00:27:23.766 --> 00:27:26.800
of medicine and medical schools

00:27:26.800 --> 00:27:29.233
teaching predominantly white male,

00:27:29.233 --> 00:27:31.800
privileged individuals,

00:27:31.800 --> 00:27:34.666
birth was moved out of the home
and into the hospital.

00:27:38.433 --> 00:27:42.000
The perception that birth
needed interventions

00:27:42.000 --> 00:27:46.000
took over and there was a public campaign

00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:47.533
to discredit midwives.

00:27:47.533 --> 00:27:52.833
Midwives were seen as
undesirable, dangerous, dirty.

00:27:53.000 --> 00:27:55.933
They were just the dog
out on the doorstep.

00:27:55.933 --> 00:27:58.000
Even today, there's a perception

00:27:58.000 --> 00:28:01.766
that the midwife has no education,

00:28:01.766 --> 00:28:04.566
no ability to help if things go wrong.

00:28:04.566 --> 00:28:09.466
But their outcomes are equal,
if not better than hospital.

00:28:15.066 --> 00:28:18.700
However, the health business

00:28:18.700 --> 00:28:21.166
is like any business
looking to make a profit.

00:28:23.966 --> 00:28:28.633
There's an economic incentive
for medicine to keep control

00:28:28.633 --> 00:28:31.966
of birth and to keep midwifery shut down.

00:28:33.666 --> 00:28:35.300
We need birth in all settings.

00:28:35.333 --> 00:28:38.766
Women should have the right
to choose the type of birth

00:28:38.766 --> 00:28:41.500
that is safest and best for them.

00:28:45.733 --> 00:28:48.400
(person typing)

00:28:50.700 --> 00:28:52.366
I've worked at the paper off and on

00:28:52.366 --> 00:28:56.566
since the 1980s, so for
most part of 30 years,

00:28:56.566 --> 00:28:59.333
I've never seen anyone charged

00:28:59.333 --> 00:29:03.566
with 95 felony charges
in this community before.

00:29:03.566 --> 00:29:06.566
I first heard about her
arrest from the press release

00:29:06.566 --> 00:29:09.900
that the state police put
out, I was really surprised

00:29:09.900 --> 00:29:12.166
when that came across my desk.

00:29:12.166 --> 00:29:17.833
And frankly, I called a couple
people that I knew, knew Liz

00:29:17.833 --> 00:29:20.833
and they were as
shocked as I was.

00:29:20.833 --> 00:29:23.100
I mean, why go after a midwife?

00:29:24.066 --> 00:29:26.133
(gentle music)

00:29:26.133 --> 00:29:27.800
(door creaking)

00:29:27.966 --> 00:29:29.733
95 felonies.

00:29:29.966 --> 00:29:32.600
That's more than any midwife

00:29:32.966 --> 00:29:36.933
has ever been charged with
in the history of the world.

00:29:38.166 --> 00:29:40.933
It was like, okay, they're after us now.

00:29:41.200 --> 00:29:42.700
They're gonna do everything they can

00:29:42.700 --> 00:29:44.733
to shut down midwifery in New York State.

00:29:44.733 --> 00:29:47.566
I'm like, oh boy, I'm like
one degree of separation.

00:29:47.566 --> 00:29:50.133
So it's just gonna be a matter
of time before they get me.

00:29:53.633 --> 00:29:56.133
No one is saying that a woman can't choose

00:29:56.133 --> 00:29:59.833
to hire a cab and have that
cabbie drive her around

00:29:59.833 --> 00:30:02.566
while she's in her third
trimester on her due date.

00:30:02.566 --> 00:30:05.066
And because she wants a
cabbie to deliver the baby.

00:30:05.066 --> 00:30:06.433
The problem isn't the woman

00:30:06.433 --> 00:30:08.766
choosing who gives birth to the child.

00:30:08.766 --> 00:30:12.733
The problem is a person hanging a shingle

00:30:12.733 --> 00:30:15.866
and advertising and providing a service

00:30:15.866 --> 00:30:18.033
who's not legally authorized to do it.

00:30:18.033 --> 00:30:19.166
That's the problem.

00:30:20.400 --> 00:30:23.400
If I was unable to practice right now,

00:30:23.400 --> 00:30:26.100
the community would be in dire straits.

00:30:26.100 --> 00:30:29.200
So we had to make a
drastic move to get here

00:30:29.200 --> 00:30:31.966
to Pennsylvania just five
miles over the

00:30:31.966 --> 00:30:33.466
Pennsylvania New York border,

00:30:33.466 --> 00:30:35.633
so that way they could
continue being served.

00:30:39.266 --> 00:30:41.300
So we decided on two lights.

00:30:41.300 --> 00:30:42.533
We got two lights on the outside.

00:30:42.533 --> 00:30:43.666
Okay, one down there, one up here.

00:30:43.666 --> 00:30:44.666
One up here, okay.

00:30:44.666 --> 00:30:46.733
We're gonna change all
the boxes to single boxes.

00:30:46.733 --> 00:30:47.600
Okay.

00:30:47.600 --> 00:30:50.166
I think you got some
insulation you ought to change.

00:30:50.166 --> 00:30:51.000
Okay.

00:30:51.000 --> 00:30:52.000
Back here.

00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:55.100
This drywall with moist,
when we took it off.

00:30:55.100 --> 00:30:56.933
What is the most immediate thing?

00:30:56.933 --> 00:30:58.700
Like the electrical outlet thing?

00:30:58.700 --> 00:31:00.700
Yes, that's gonna be
our top shelf priority.

00:31:00.700 --> 00:31:03.066
I gotta try to cut costs where I can.

00:31:03.066 --> 00:31:05.566
There's so much money I've
gotta sink into this house

00:31:05.566 --> 00:31:09.466
and it's a little overwhelming
right now financially.

00:31:09.466 --> 00:31:11.400
This has been a huge hit for us.

00:31:11.400 --> 00:31:16.200
I've invested everything I have
for this project down here.

00:31:18.300 --> 00:31:20.466
It just weighs very, very heavy.

00:31:20.466 --> 00:31:23.333
There's so much to do in so little time.

00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:26.966
I'm under the gun because I guarantee

00:31:26.966 --> 00:31:29.100
the cops will be outside the door

00:31:29.333 --> 00:31:30.333
waiting for an Amish person

00:31:30.333 --> 00:31:32.900
to walk in my house and
they'll arrest me on the spot.

00:31:37.866 --> 00:31:41.366
(vehicle engine whirring)

00:31:46.433 --> 00:31:50.033
(sheep bleating)

00:31:53.800 --> 00:31:55.033
In our communities

00:31:55.033 --> 00:31:57.366
Mennonite, Amish, I’ll say plain communities,

00:31:57.366 --> 00:31:59.366
somebody's always having a baby.

00:31:59.366 --> 00:32:00.500
(person laughing)

00:32:00.500 --> 00:32:03.333
And oftentimes two or three at once.

00:32:04.000 --> 00:32:08.266
So I've probably delivered
around six or 700 babies.

00:32:10.466 --> 00:32:12.333
(chicken clucking)

00:32:12.333 --> 00:32:14.433
Collect eggs here.

00:32:14.466 --> 00:32:16.433
Got one chicken trying to sit.

00:32:16.433 --> 00:32:19.600
After Melissa moved, people were frantic.

00:32:19.600 --> 00:32:21.233
'Cause the community she serves

00:32:21.233 --> 00:32:24.566
now drives three hours to see her.

00:32:24.566 --> 00:32:27.700
There was a woman who
had her baby in the car.

00:32:27.700 --> 00:32:29.600
There was people who
had their babies alone

00:32:29.600 --> 00:32:30.400
with no one there.

00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:33.000
I just took care of a woman that said

00:32:33.000 --> 00:32:35.233
she has gone over to her neighbor

00:32:35.233 --> 00:32:38.400
and if I'm not available,
she'll do that again.

00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:42.033
There's only so many
people I can care for.

00:32:44.133 --> 00:32:45.933
Baby's moving well for you.

00:32:45.933 --> 00:32:48.000
Very well, good.

00:32:48.333 --> 00:32:49.833
Any BraxtonHicks?

00:32:49.833 --> 00:32:51.966
Not aggressive, but it's.

00:32:52.500 --> 00:32:53.333
Active.

00:32:53.333 --> 00:32:54.966
Good, that's what we like to hear.

00:32:55.166 --> 00:32:56.800
I was a little nervous

00:32:56.800 --> 00:32:58.966
to be working in New York

00:32:58.966 --> 00:33:01.433
without a license, without being legal.

00:33:01.433 --> 00:33:04.600
But I've always been told
that even without a license,

00:33:04.600 --> 00:33:07.866
someone working as a
plain community person

00:33:07.866 --> 00:33:10.933
in their own community,
people don't bother you

00:33:10.933 --> 00:33:14.100
because you are trained in your own ways.

00:33:14.100 --> 00:33:16.833
All right, let's go take
a listen to this baby.

00:33:18.466 --> 00:33:20.233
So girl or boy?

00:33:20.233 --> 00:33:22.766
Roy is very confident that it's a girl.

00:33:22.766 --> 00:33:23.533
Is he?

00:33:23.533 --> 00:33:24.633
Let it be a boy.

00:33:25.300 --> 00:33:28.800
Well, we have a head down
there, back over here.

00:33:28.800 --> 00:33:31.566
Feet up here in this corner, that's good.

00:33:31.566 --> 00:33:33.666
I guess I've always
been the type of person

00:33:33.666 --> 00:33:36.400
that doesn't like to sit
around and let the grass grow.

00:33:36.400 --> 00:33:38.933
We usually stop school at eighth grade,

00:33:38.933 --> 00:33:41.700
but I always loved school

00:33:41.700 --> 00:33:44.133
and so I decided to get my GED.

00:33:44.600 --> 00:33:47.033
30 centimeters, excellent.

00:33:47.033 --> 00:33:50.933
And then I went to the
National College of Midwifery.

00:33:50.933 --> 00:33:52.533
That was associate's degree.

00:33:52.533 --> 00:33:54.600
Heart rate sounds excellent.

00:33:55.066 --> 00:34:00.066
Mostly in the one thirties
and forties, that’s great.

00:34:00.666 --> 00:34:04.400
I got my CPM credential
at the end of 2010.

00:34:04.400 --> 00:34:07.633
And I actually had plans to
do whatever I needed to do

00:34:07.633 --> 00:34:08.866
to get the licensure,

00:34:08.866 --> 00:34:12.800
but at the time I had six
children with our farm.

00:34:12.800 --> 00:34:16.300
Me going away to school,
spending that kind of money

00:34:16.300 --> 00:34:18.000
and there was no way
we could have done it.

00:34:36.066 --> 00:34:39.000
(lawn mower sounds)

00:34:42.866 --> 00:34:45.533
(water pouring)

00:34:48.000 --> 00:34:50.766
(birds chirping)

00:34:59.233 --> 00:35:01.600
The children came out and helped me move.

00:35:01.600 --> 00:35:03.733
I sure couldn't have done it without them.

00:35:07.300 --> 00:35:08.866
All these memories.

00:35:09.733 --> 00:35:11.933
I have 14 children.

00:35:11.933 --> 00:35:15.266
The oldest is 35, the youngest is nine.

00:35:15.266 --> 00:35:17.766
My daughter Grace
thought she was Mennonite

00:35:17.766 --> 00:35:19.633
when she was growing up.

00:35:19.633 --> 00:35:20.866
She was really ripped off

00:35:20.866 --> 00:35:23.366
when she found out we weren't Mennonite.

00:35:23.366 --> 00:35:26.966
This is Grace, she's expecting her third.

00:35:26.966 --> 00:35:31.000
She's just not even a week
from delivery in this picture.

00:35:31.000 --> 00:35:34.500
This is my, I think, 19th grandchild.

00:35:37.633 --> 00:35:38.666
There he is.

00:35:40.400 --> 00:35:42.333
When my daughter started getting married,

00:35:42.333 --> 00:35:44.466
they said, you know,
mom, we're gonna want you

00:35:44.466 --> 00:35:45.766
to catch our babies.

00:35:47.133 --> 00:35:49.133
I've caught all my grandchildren

00:35:49.533 --> 00:35:52.766
and now I have another one due.

00:35:55.100 --> 00:35:56.500
I can't do it.

00:35:56.733 --> 00:36:00.400
The judge told me I
couldn't do anything medical

00:36:00.400 --> 00:36:03.533
to a pregnant woman or a newborn.

00:36:05.800 --> 00:36:08.533
I still feel called to help these women,

00:36:08.533 --> 00:36:11.166
but I'm 54 years old right now.

00:36:11.166 --> 00:36:12.500
If I were convicted,

00:36:12.500 --> 00:36:15.833
I would be 94 years old before I got out.

00:36:17.466 --> 00:36:20.566
I don't think about
spending 40 years in jail.

00:36:20.566 --> 00:36:24.633
I mean, it's a possibility,
but I can't take myself there.

00:36:24.633 --> 00:36:25.633
I think I'd sink.

00:36:28.233 --> 00:36:30.566
(gentle music)

00:36:30.566 --> 00:36:34.066
(vehicle engine whirring)

00:36:39.066 --> 00:36:42.066
(people chattering)

00:36:48.666 --> 00:36:51.833
If I have to go through this
for the truth to come out,

00:36:52.800 --> 00:36:55.666
I just pray something
good comes out of it.

00:36:59.666 --> 00:37:02.400
If you wanna turn your Bibles
to Matthew chapter five.

00:37:02.900 --> 00:37:04.566
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,

00:37:04.566 --> 00:37:06.266
for theirs is the Kingdom of God.

00:37:06.266 --> 00:37:07.633
Kingdom of heaven.

00:37:07.633 --> 00:37:09.033
Blessed are those who mourn

00:37:09.033 --> 00:37:10.933
for they shall be comforted."

00:37:10.933 --> 00:37:13.066
I do not believe I am guilty.

00:37:13.066 --> 00:37:14.900
When I think back on it,

00:37:14.900 --> 00:37:18.000
I wouldn't have done anything differently.

00:37:20.866 --> 00:37:24.800
I got a call at about 9:30 in the morning

00:37:24.800 --> 00:37:28.166
and Wilma said that her water
had broke early that morning.

00:37:29.166 --> 00:37:31.733
I went over to check on her.

00:37:31.733 --> 00:37:36.333
She didn't have really much
going on and so I left.

00:37:36.333 --> 00:37:38.766
She tried to sleep.

00:37:38.766 --> 00:37:41.166
I went back the next morning

00:37:41.166 --> 00:37:44.066
and by the time I got
there, she was in labor.

00:37:44.066 --> 00:37:48.733
So I just took her vitals,
everything looked fine.

00:37:48.733 --> 00:37:50.633
And I had her try pushing

00:37:50.633 --> 00:37:54.066
and when she would push, the
baby's heart rate would go up.

00:37:55.100 --> 00:37:56.900
We had tried that a
couple different times.

00:37:56.900 --> 00:37:59.500
Every time the heart rate would go up

00:37:59.500 --> 00:38:01.200
and I said, it's time to go in.

00:38:01.200 --> 00:38:03.033
We need to get this baby born.

00:38:03.866 --> 00:38:05.200
She got her dress on.

00:38:05.200 --> 00:38:09.133
I drove them in the van,
we got to the hospital.

00:38:09.133 --> 00:38:10.533
They had her start pushing

00:38:10.533 --> 00:38:13.533
and the baby's heart
rate like really shot up.

00:38:15.166 --> 00:38:18.333
Finally, the doctor, she
said, I will do the vacuum

00:38:18.333 --> 00:38:21.366
'cause I'm pretty sure you
don't want a C-section, right?

00:38:21.366 --> 00:38:24.300
And I'm thinking, yes,
you need a C-section.

00:38:24.300 --> 00:38:27.666
But I don't say it, I don't speak up.

00:38:27.666 --> 00:38:30.666
When I arrive at the hospital,
I am completely out of it.

00:38:30.666 --> 00:38:32.133
I don't have anything to do

00:38:32.133 --> 00:38:33.866
with the decision making process.

00:38:34.233 --> 00:38:36.866
She just got the vacuum ready

00:38:36.866 --> 00:38:39.700
and it was through two pushes

00:38:39.700 --> 00:38:43.333
and two pulls that the baby was born.

00:38:43.533 --> 00:38:46.666
When I left the hospital, I
thought the baby was fine.

00:38:47.533 --> 00:38:49.733
And then about two in the morning,

00:38:49.733 --> 00:38:52.166
the doctor called me and
she said, I just want

00:38:52.166 --> 00:38:53.900
to let you know that the baby died.

00:38:55.633 --> 00:38:58.666
I was shocked, I'm
thinking, what happened?

00:38:58.666 --> 00:39:01.033
What happened? Why?

00:39:01.033 --> 00:39:04.600
And she said, now is
not the time to discuss it.

00:39:09.766 --> 00:39:12.500
(pages being flipped)

00:39:17.866 --> 00:39:21.266
I was reading records and becoming baffled

00:39:21.266 --> 00:39:23.833
because when you read the medical records,

00:39:23.833 --> 00:39:26.866
you start not being
able to put it together.

00:39:27.500 --> 00:39:31.700
In the particular case, there
was a failure to progress.

00:39:31.700 --> 00:39:34.166
And Liz came to the conclusion

00:39:34.166 --> 00:39:36.700
that more medical
intervention is necessary.

00:39:36.700 --> 00:39:38.533
Part of midwifery training

00:39:38.533 --> 00:39:41.633
is to discern when that's the case

00:39:41.633 --> 00:39:42.866
and to move the person

00:39:42.866 --> 00:39:45.666
to an appropriate setting
to deal with that.

00:39:45.666 --> 00:39:48.066
So the mother comes to the hospital

00:39:48.066 --> 00:39:51.100
with the baby inside of her,
and the hospital doesn't say,

00:39:51.100 --> 00:39:52.833
this is an emergent situation.

00:39:52.833 --> 00:39:54.966
Look at the heart rate,
look at this, look at that.

00:39:54.966 --> 00:39:56.100
None of that happens.

00:39:56.100 --> 00:39:59.566
Several hours pass where the
woman is allowed to continue

00:39:59.566 --> 00:40:02.400
to birth, which is exactly
what Liz was doing.

00:40:03.533 --> 00:40:07.066
(dogs barking)

00:40:10.266 --> 00:40:11.900
Hello.

00:40:12.700 --> 00:40:16.533
What I came to understand
was that in conversations

00:40:16.533 --> 00:40:19.200
with family members who were inquiring

00:40:19.200 --> 00:40:23.766
as to what went on, the
doctors in essence said,

00:40:24.466 --> 00:40:27.633
I should have done a
C-section when she came in.

00:40:29.166 --> 00:40:30.466
I was in shock.

00:40:30.733 --> 00:40:33.666
In other words,
acknowledging some situation

00:40:33.666 --> 00:40:35.100
that required intervention.

00:40:35.600 --> 00:40:37.700
What later became the mantra

00:40:38.100 --> 00:40:40.700
was that the midwife had failed.

00:40:52.833 --> 00:40:54.366
If I speak with my brother

00:40:54.366 --> 00:40:56.566
and his wife about the
death of baby Joseph,

00:40:56.666 --> 00:40:59.000
who is my nephew

00:40:59.000 --> 00:41:03.833
they say that it was God's will
to take the baby.

00:41:03.833 --> 00:41:08.433
God needed a rosebud and he took Joseph.

00:41:10.733 --> 00:41:12.800
But we also have a lot of questions.

00:41:12.800 --> 00:41:15.400
They never blame Liz, never.

00:41:15.400 --> 00:41:17.300
They are not blaming anybody.

00:41:17.300 --> 00:41:20.400
But they do wish that the doctors

00:41:20.400 --> 00:41:23.066
at the hospital would tell the truth.

00:41:23.066 --> 00:41:26.500
They wish the truth would be told.

00:41:27.433 --> 00:41:30.033
(horse hooves clopping)

00:41:43.833 --> 00:41:44.933
No midwife or OB

00:41:44.933 --> 00:41:47.100
would ever wanna lose a mom or baby.

00:41:48.033 --> 00:41:52.600
But when an OB has a death,
the OB isn't carted off

00:41:52.600 --> 00:41:54.900
to jail in their slippers.

00:41:55.666 --> 00:41:59.700
And there has been very, very
severe, unnecessary deaths

00:41:59.700 --> 00:42:02.600
that have happened
because of negligent care.

00:42:05.300 --> 00:42:06.200
Good morning.

00:42:07.866 --> 00:42:09.200
(door creaking)

00:42:10.100 --> 00:42:11.700
So how are you feeling?

00:42:11.700 --> 00:42:13.933
Well I actually thought I might have
to call you up in the night,

00:42:13.933 --> 00:42:18.033
but stuff sort of fizzled
out, so I'm not sure.

00:42:18.033 --> 00:42:20.533
Okay crampy or?

00:42:20.533 --> 00:42:21.666
I felt very crampy.

00:42:21.666 --> 00:42:24.400
And then contractions, I had a bunch too.

00:42:24.400 --> 00:42:25.000
Okay.

00:42:25.000 --> 00:42:27.333
When I was in my twenties,
I wanted to be an OB.

00:42:27.333 --> 00:42:29.933
Any other concerns that you have going on?

00:42:29.933 --> 00:42:32.766
But I could not believe over and over

00:42:32.766 --> 00:42:35.733
and over again what I saw in the hospital.

00:42:35.733 --> 00:42:39.100
The abuse, particularly towards
women of color, horrible.

00:42:39.100 --> 00:42:42.233
Can I have you kind of shift your center?

00:42:42.233 --> 00:42:43.300
There you go.

00:42:43.300 --> 00:42:44.366
Doctors coming in

00:42:44.366 --> 00:42:46.966
and just shoving their
fingers into a woman's vagina.

00:42:46.966 --> 00:42:48.400
I'm going to break your water.

00:42:49.200 --> 00:42:50.266
What, why?

00:42:50.266 --> 00:42:53.733
And why aren't you asking if it's okay?

00:42:56.100 --> 00:42:57.666
All right, well, keep me posted on today

00:42:57.666 --> 00:43:00.366
if you feel like something's brewing.

00:43:04.700 --> 00:43:08.033
This battle, this isn't
just about childbirth.

00:43:08.033 --> 00:43:12.433
This is about a war against
the right for bodily autonomy.

00:43:13.300 --> 00:43:18.300
History has proven that
criminalizing women's choices

00:43:18.766 --> 00:43:21.300
has never produced the outcome they want.

00:43:22.800 --> 00:43:26.866
You can outlaw abortion and say
you cannot have an abortion.

00:43:26.866 --> 00:43:28.866
Then they'll go back to hiding in alleys

00:43:28.866 --> 00:43:31.833
'cause if a woman who wants
an abortion, she will get one.

00:43:31.833 --> 00:43:33.833
And it's the same thing for childbirth.

00:43:33.833 --> 00:43:36.066
If a woman does not want to
go to the hospital, she won't.

00:43:40.666 --> 00:43:42.066
Hi, how are you?

00:43:54.100 --> 00:43:57.733
A lot of labor has been
donated for the property.

00:43:57.800 --> 00:44:00.466
We took the carpet up,
finished the floors,

00:44:00.466 --> 00:44:02.133
put a new bathroom in.

00:44:02.133 --> 00:44:05.933
We're willing to help Melissa
out as much as possible

00:44:05.933 --> 00:44:07.966
because she's such a good midwife.

00:44:08.733 --> 00:44:10.800
That looks nice.

00:44:11.266 --> 00:44:14.100
(objects banging)

00:44:20.066 --> 00:44:23.800
Was it last week sometime,
I worked for Vern Yoda.

00:44:24.200 --> 00:44:25.900
And over lunch time we seen him.

00:44:25.900 --> 00:44:27.066
He's over there on the porch there,

00:44:27.066 --> 00:44:29.666
two guys standing there,
pretty official guys.

00:44:29.666 --> 00:44:32.166
And he spent some time talking to them.

00:44:33.466 --> 00:44:35.300
And when he came over he said,

00:44:35.300 --> 00:44:36.833
those are private investigators

00:44:37.100 --> 00:44:38.300
No!

00:44:39.733 --> 00:44:43.400
asking about Melissa Carman?

00:44:44.166 --> 00:44:45.500
When was this?

00:44:45.500 --> 00:44:47.300
Less than two weeks ago.

00:44:49.366 --> 00:44:50.766
What did he say?

00:44:51.866 --> 00:44:53.466
Those guys were very nice.

00:44:53.966 --> 00:44:57.766
Yeah, they will act super, super nice.

00:44:57.766 --> 00:45:02.333
Be like, oh, no one's in
trouble here, no problems.

00:45:04.300 --> 00:45:05.133
Wow.

00:45:06.166 --> 00:45:07.900
Have they been around
at anyone else's house

00:45:07.900 --> 00:45:08.800
that you know of?

00:45:09.700 --> 00:45:11.866
Not in our community that I know of.

00:45:14.033 --> 00:45:14.866
Oh boy.

00:45:18.000 --> 00:45:19.800
(phone ringing)

00:45:19.800 --> 00:45:21.066
Hey, it's Melissa Carman.

00:45:21.066 --> 00:45:21.733
How are you?

00:45:21.733 --> 00:45:22.966
I have some Mennonites

00:45:22.966 --> 00:45:26.500
that are working down here in
Pennsylvania on the new place,

00:45:27.600 --> 00:45:29.233
and one of them just told me

00:45:29.233 --> 00:45:33.566
that two investigators were
up in the Lyndonville area

00:45:33.566 --> 00:45:35.433
asking questions about me.

00:45:35.433 --> 00:45:38.100
You know, they're going to their houses.

00:45:38.100 --> 00:45:40.000
Why they write me a check I'm sure.

00:45:40.000 --> 00:45:41.933
You know, what did I do?

00:45:41.933 --> 00:45:44.400
I don't know if there's other people
that they are looking at too

00:45:44.400 --> 00:45:46.300
I don't know. I'm not
familiar with the community. But..

00:45:46.300 --> 00:45:46.833
Okay.

00:45:46.833 --> 00:45:48.900
You know, it seems like they're on
some kind of a,

00:45:48.900 --> 00:45:50.566
I don't wanna say a witch hunt,

00:45:50.566 --> 00:45:53.466
but it's for us to be aware of
what's coming down the pike.

00:45:53.466 --> 00:45:54.600
All right. All right thank you.

00:45:54.600 --> 00:45:55.966
All right, bye.

00:46:07.100 --> 00:46:11.633
(ominous music)

00:46:18.766 --> 00:46:20.600
The state troopers called me

00:46:20.600 --> 00:46:22.766
and asked me to come in to arrest me

00:46:22.766 --> 00:46:25.166
for unlawful practice from a profession.

00:46:25.166 --> 00:46:28.133
I told my daughter that
I was gonna be arrested

00:46:28.133 --> 00:46:29.366
and she was crying.

00:46:30.333 --> 00:46:33.133
And usually I'm the type of person

00:46:33.133 --> 00:46:36.500
who can keep my composure,
but my hands were shaking.

00:46:36.500 --> 00:46:37.966
I was scared.

00:46:38.800 --> 00:46:40.700
Not guilty your Honor.

00:46:41.300 --> 00:46:45.933
In Liz's case, there was
too many references to me

00:46:45.933 --> 00:46:48.000
when we read the discovery documents.

00:46:48.266 --> 00:46:50.400
It's exactly as we suspected.

00:46:50.400 --> 00:46:52.933
Text messages, yeah.

00:46:53.100 --> 00:46:54.433
They're charging me with the one felony

00:46:54.433 --> 00:46:56.600
of unlawful practice of a profession.

00:46:56.600 --> 00:46:58.266
And then the other one, the misdemeanor

00:46:58.266 --> 00:47:01.833
is because I warned
you, according to this,

00:47:01.833 --> 00:47:05.100
I warned you about an investigation.

00:47:09.366 --> 00:47:12.800
There are a lot of text
messages back and forth.

00:47:12.800 --> 00:47:15.333
And Liz told me

00:47:15.333 --> 00:47:19.533
that the police were
gonna be called, you know,

00:47:19.533 --> 00:47:21.300
regarding her case.

00:47:21.300 --> 00:47:25.733
So I texted her, get rid of
any evidence of past records,

00:47:25.733 --> 00:47:28.400
delete text messages, hide things offsite.

00:47:28.400 --> 00:47:32.633
And it wasn't a serious text message,

00:47:32.833 --> 00:47:35.966
it was a gut punch reaction

00:47:35.966 --> 00:47:38.866
to what she said about
the cops being called.

00:47:38.866 --> 00:47:41.266
And they've offered me a plea.

00:47:41.266 --> 00:47:44.400
I don't believe I can stand in court

00:47:44.400 --> 00:47:47.533
and say that I'm guilty of
a felony and a misdemeanor,

00:47:47.533 --> 00:47:50.300
knowing that at the end of the day,

00:47:50.300 --> 00:47:52.900
all of this was only to benefit

00:47:52.900 --> 00:47:55.900
a community that has no resources.

00:47:55.900 --> 00:48:00.666
And I feel like I have to
take this as far as it'll go.

00:48:06.266 --> 00:48:08.766
(phone ringing)

00:48:09.933 --> 00:48:11.000
Oh boy.

00:48:12.800 --> 00:48:13.800
My Attorney.

00:48:14.800 --> 00:48:15.800
Hey.

00:48:15.800 --> 00:48:16.633
Hey, how you doing?

00:48:16.633 --> 00:48:17.466
I'm on my way up.

00:48:17.466 --> 00:48:18.300
Okay, great.

00:48:18.300 --> 00:48:20.100
One last thing I wanted to tell you.

00:48:20.100 --> 00:48:22.766
You understand that I'm in a position

00:48:22.766 --> 00:48:25.166
where I'm confident we can win the case

00:48:25.166 --> 00:48:26.733
if we had to go to trial.

00:48:27.266 --> 00:48:29.666
But I'm also, on the other hand,

00:48:29.666 --> 00:48:31.400
I think you should take the offer.

00:48:32.133 --> 00:48:34.533
I look at it from a risk perspective

00:48:34.533 --> 00:48:37.400
and that I know you
could also be convicted.

00:48:37.400 --> 00:48:38.200
Sure.

00:48:38.200 --> 00:48:39.800
I just hate you to lose everything.

00:48:39.800 --> 00:48:41.933
'cause you never know what's
gonna happen with a jury.

00:48:41.933 --> 00:48:46.800
Right, okay, all right.

00:48:46.800 --> 00:48:47.633
I just wanted to tell you that

00:48:47.633 --> 00:48:48.966
before you made your decision

00:48:48.966 --> 00:48:50.733
and I'll see you a quarter
after one, all right?

00:48:50.733 --> 00:48:53.800
Okay, sounds great,
I'll see you then, bye.

00:48:59.466 --> 00:49:02.466
If it only stayed like that forever.

00:49:17.900 --> 00:49:18.500
Hello.

00:49:18.500 --> 00:49:19.533
How you doing?

00:49:19.533 --> 00:49:20.966
Good.

00:49:22.200 --> 00:49:24.100
What are you gonna do?

00:49:24.533 --> 00:49:26.000
I'm not gonna take the plea.

00:49:26.000 --> 00:49:26.533
You are or you're not?

00:49:26.533 --> 00:49:27.133
Not.

00:49:27.133 --> 00:49:27.833
Okay.

00:49:28.766 --> 00:49:30.966
All right, they're gonna
put it on the record,

00:49:30.966 --> 00:49:32.066
going to trial,

00:49:32.066 --> 00:49:36.000
and you know he's anything from

00:49:36.000 --> 00:49:41.633
one third to four to
probation if you're convicted,

00:49:41.633 --> 00:49:44.100
and then the misdemeanors
are just, you know, the same.

00:49:44.100 --> 00:49:44.766
Okay.

00:49:44.766 --> 00:49:45.533
Okay.

00:49:45.900 --> 00:49:48.666
I'm probably gonna end up
getting a three to five.

00:49:52.700 --> 00:49:54.166
No, you're not.

00:49:54.166 --> 00:49:57.000
Don't even think that,
much less say it out loud.

00:49:57.000 --> 00:49:58.866
Are they really gonna put me in jail?

00:49:58.866 --> 00:50:03.766
No, no, well, reasonable people wouldn't.

00:50:03.766 --> 00:50:05.100
But this is our concern.

00:50:05.100 --> 00:50:07.300
We're not always dealing
with reasonable people.

00:50:07.300 --> 00:50:11.366
This is what upsets me
about this whole thing

00:50:11.366 --> 00:50:15.733
is that when you walk in, it’s all men.

00:50:15.733 --> 00:50:17.166
Yeah.

00:50:17.166 --> 00:50:22.200
Determining the outcomes
for women in the state.

00:50:22.366 --> 00:50:23.233
You can go in,

00:50:25.100 --> 00:50:27.866
the court is in short
recess, but you can go in.

00:50:27.866 --> 00:50:29.033
Okay, we're next.

00:50:29.166 --> 00:50:30.200
Yep.

00:50:30.200 --> 00:50:31.000
Perfect.

00:50:37.733 --> 00:50:40.033
(people chattering)

00:50:41.366 --> 00:50:45.166
Well, that was interesting.

00:50:46.366 --> 00:50:48.000
How are you feeling?

00:50:48.000 --> 00:50:51.766
Disgusted, disgusted that Todd Costella

00:50:51.766 --> 00:50:56.166
and his little counterpart,
they don't give a crap.

00:50:56.166 --> 00:50:58.433
They don't give a crap about any of this

00:50:58.433 --> 00:51:00.300
and it just makes me sick.

00:51:02.000 --> 00:51:02.866
So

00:51:07.800 --> 00:51:09.033
right now I'm thinking

00:51:09.033 --> 00:51:13.500
if I had pled just saying
guilty to that felony

00:51:13.500 --> 00:51:17.033
and to that misdemeanor, I
would've wanted to kill him.

00:51:18.100 --> 00:51:22.400
Not literally, with my thoughts.

00:51:24.066 --> 00:51:27.433
Next thing you'll know,
I'll be on trial for murder.

00:51:27.433 --> 00:51:30.933
(person sighing)

00:52:27.600 --> 00:52:29.900
Hello, how are you today?

00:52:32.733 --> 00:52:35.033
It sure is cold out there today.

00:52:35.566 --> 00:52:37.533
Hello. Switch to speaking Pennsylvania Dutch.

00:52:38.066 --> 00:52:40.700
Oh, we’re growing.

00:52:44.966 --> 00:52:50.666
Speaking Pennsylvania Dutch.

00:52:51.700 --> 00:52:54.033
You want her over on the table or...
Yeah.

00:52:55.433 --> 00:52:56.800
After Melissa got arrested,

00:52:56.800 --> 00:52:59.066
I was like, this isn't good.

00:52:59.066 --> 00:53:02.166
They are seriously going after anyone

00:53:02.166 --> 00:53:04.500
helping people have babies at home.

00:53:04.500 --> 00:53:06.600
Right, she's been eating well for you?

00:53:06.600 --> 00:53:07.833
Sometimes when she gets started,

00:53:07.833 --> 00:53:10.266
she's clicking her tongue.

00:53:10.266 --> 00:53:11.800
I see.

00:53:11.800 --> 00:53:14.766
There is a huge community of people

00:53:14.766 --> 00:53:17.500
and if they're always scared

00:53:17.500 --> 00:53:19.033
that their midwife is gonna be taken away

00:53:19.033 --> 00:53:21.433
because she's not legal,

00:53:21.433 --> 00:53:24.500
what kind of care does that leave people?

00:53:24.900 --> 00:53:26.866
And I'll just have you lie on the bed here

00:53:26.866 --> 00:53:29.066
and I'll check your uterus out.

00:53:29.066 --> 00:53:31.400
Just go ahead and do a
little sit up for me.

00:53:31.400 --> 00:53:33.100
We'll check your your muscles.

00:53:33.100 --> 00:53:34.166
Oh dear.

00:53:34.166 --> 00:53:36.466
Your stomach muscles, there we go.

00:53:36.466 --> 00:53:41.466
I could use a little
work, well, can't we all?

00:53:42.433 --> 00:53:47.000
Liz was arrested and Melissa was arrested.

00:53:47.000 --> 00:53:49.966
Lisa is way overcrowded.

00:53:49.966 --> 00:53:52.966
The options are almost nil.

00:53:52.966 --> 00:53:55.333
They kind of send me in a panic

00:53:55.333 --> 00:54:00.166
about how far they would actually go.

00:54:00.166 --> 00:54:03.166
(people chattering)

00:54:04.366 --> 00:54:19.066
(auctioneer announcing bids)

00:54:19.066 --> 00:54:20.500
639, 197.

00:54:21.366 --> 00:54:22.433
Big calf here.

00:54:24.033 --> 00:54:26.333
I didn't really feel I was being watched

00:54:26.533 --> 00:54:29.500
until the Yates County
Sheriff's Department called

00:54:29.500 --> 00:54:34.400
and started asking me questions
if I'm practicing midwifery,

00:54:34.400 --> 00:54:37.400
which I said I'd never identified myself

00:54:37.400 --> 00:54:39.600
as a midwife to anyone.

00:54:39.600 --> 00:54:41.633
And he asked what I call myself

00:54:41.633 --> 00:54:45.400
and I said, a birth attendant
or a labor assistant.

00:54:45.400 --> 00:54:47.833
And then he said, well,

00:54:47.833 --> 00:54:50.666
we'll let the evidence speak for itself.

00:54:50.666 --> 00:54:52.433
You're under investigation.

00:54:52.566 --> 00:54:55.766
(phone beeping)

00:54:55.766 --> 00:54:56.866
Hello, Carolyn?

00:54:57.366 --> 00:54:58.600
Yeah, this is Doris.

00:54:59.133 --> 00:55:02.300
(speaking Pennsylvania Dutch)

00:55:02.300 --> 00:55:06.633
10 o’clock is the Lissa Horning arraignment

00:55:06.933 --> 00:55:09.300
in the courthouse.

00:55:09.633 --> 00:55:10.466
Yeah.

00:55:11.433 --> 00:55:16.433
She just kind of suddenly got
a call on Friday telling her.

00:55:17.166 --> 00:55:19.633
So that means they're going to go ahead

00:55:19.633 --> 00:55:21.733
with pressing charges.

00:55:23.233 --> 00:55:26.800
Yeah, I guess you'll have to be there

00:55:26.800 --> 00:55:29.466
and sit up front and cry and.

00:55:30.433 --> 00:55:33.266
(person laughing)

00:55:35.533 --> 00:55:36.366
Yeah.

00:55:38.400 --> 00:55:39.533
Go into labor right there.

00:55:45.366 --> 00:55:49.233
Maybe would soften somebody's heart.

00:55:50.533 --> 00:55:53.733
Oh dear, this is so nuts.

00:55:53.733 --> 00:55:56.300
(gentle music)

00:56:07.333 --> 00:56:10.133
The Yates County Sheriff's
Department called again

00:56:10.133 --> 00:56:14.833
and he said, you need to
serve you with an arrest paper

00:56:14.833 --> 00:56:17.566
for unauthorized practice
of a professional.

00:56:22.266 --> 00:56:24.500
If they tell me I can't practice anymore,

00:56:24.500 --> 00:56:27.533
it would be a big hole in my life.

00:56:28.366 --> 00:56:32.133
I feel like that's my God given talent

00:56:32.133 --> 00:56:34.533
to work with babies and moms.

00:56:36.733 --> 00:56:40.800
Who's going to help all these people?

00:56:42.800 --> 00:56:46.033
Sue and I are pretty old to take it on.

00:56:46.033 --> 00:56:47.100
(person laughing)

00:56:47.100 --> 00:56:49.000
Especially me.

00:56:49.366 --> 00:56:53.600
It was so senseless trying
to figure out, well, okay,

00:56:54.066 --> 00:56:56.366
he says we the people

00:56:56.366 --> 00:57:00.933
and then well, we are
sitting right behind them.

00:57:00.933 --> 00:57:02.533
He's talking for us.

00:57:04.000 --> 00:57:06.566
(rain pouring)

00:57:11.400 --> 00:57:14.700
Thank you all for coming
today, especially in the rain.

00:57:14.700 --> 00:57:15.800
Thank you for coming.

00:57:15.800 --> 00:57:17.733
My name's Linda Hamilton.

00:57:17.733 --> 00:57:20.366
I was involved in a case

00:57:20.366 --> 00:57:24.200
with midwife Diane
Goslin several years ago

00:57:24.200 --> 00:57:27.033
when she was charged by
the state of Pennsylvania

00:57:27.033 --> 00:57:29.133
for practicing midwifery.

00:57:29.133 --> 00:57:34.133
And I want you to know
that the reason Diane won,

00:57:34.200 --> 00:57:36.266
and the reason things are the way

00:57:36.266 --> 00:57:38.733
they are in Pennsylvania
now giving freedom

00:57:38.733 --> 00:57:43.733
to home birth midwives is
because people like you came out

00:57:44.900 --> 00:57:46.966
and stood up for her.

00:57:46.966 --> 00:57:51.466
I really want to get
feedback from you all.

00:57:51.466 --> 00:57:53.700
What can we do to work together

00:57:53.700 --> 00:57:56.033
to make this happen here in New York?

00:57:58.500 --> 00:58:01.433
We are realizing that if we don't step out

00:58:01.433 --> 00:58:03.766
and say what we want, we're going

00:58:03.766 --> 00:58:06.200
to lose home birth altogether.

00:58:07.433 --> 00:58:10.666
Yeah, take some more and pass amount too.

00:58:10.666 --> 00:58:12.633
I would take at least 10.

00:58:14.200 --> 00:58:18.366
The Bible says to be
separate from the world,

00:58:18.366 --> 00:58:22.833
but I do feel that we should
be helping and not sitting back

00:58:22.833 --> 00:58:27.566
and let them take the
punishment all by themselves.

00:58:35.700 --> 00:58:37.466
The reason the Amish

00:58:37.466 --> 00:58:38.600
is showing up at the courthouse

00:58:38.600 --> 00:58:42.300
is to show the judge how
important midwifery is

00:58:42.300 --> 00:58:45.566
to the Amish and the plain communities.

00:58:45.566 --> 00:58:47.533
The way we've been showing support so far

00:58:47.533 --> 00:58:50.700
is by going to court, raising money,

00:58:50.700 --> 00:58:53.100
writing letters to newspapers

00:58:53.100 --> 00:58:56.033
and just in general talking about it,

00:58:56.033 --> 00:58:58.700
talking to people we meet,
answering their questions.

00:58:58.966 --> 00:59:00.266
I think it's a fight with ....

00:59:00.766 --> 00:59:01.833
words.

00:59:02.300 --> 00:59:05.033
So I guess what we want to do is

00:59:05.633 --> 00:59:08.033
just write your story on the back

00:59:08.033 --> 00:59:11.800
just to let other people
know what we desire.

00:59:13.066 --> 00:59:16.000
It's gonna feel boring writing
the same thing over and over.

00:59:16.000 --> 00:59:17.133
I have to give all my hundred

00:59:17.133 --> 00:59:18.300
and one reasons on every different.

00:59:18.300 --> 00:59:20.100
Oh yeah, and keep it simple, yeah.

00:59:22.233 --> 00:59:25.033
I think my biggest thing
is I really want this

00:59:25.033 --> 00:59:27.100
for my daughters too, because

00:59:27.400 --> 00:59:29.433
I mean, you know how fun it is

00:59:29.533 --> 00:59:30.700
to come down the stairs

00:59:30.700 --> 00:59:33.766
and hear dad say, what did he tell you?

00:59:34.800 --> 00:59:36.266
Yeah, we have a surprise for you.

00:59:36.266 --> 00:59:37.600
That was for Brendan, I think,

00:59:37.600 --> 00:59:40.133
and then we were trying
to guess what it was.

00:59:40.133 --> 00:59:42.333
We guessed trampoline
and a pony and a goat,

00:59:42.466 --> 00:59:45.700
and we wanted a trampoline badly.

00:59:45.700 --> 00:59:47.266
We never imagined it was a baby.

00:59:47.533 --> 00:59:49.700
(people laughing)

00:59:49.700 --> 00:59:50.766
It was just a sister.

00:59:50.766 --> 00:59:53.033
Just a sister.

01:00:00.400 --> 01:00:03.233
It is very rare that the
Mennonites will write letters

01:00:03.233 --> 01:00:06.800
to the editor, but in this
case it was just a flood

01:00:06.800 --> 01:00:09.233
of letters that came across my desk.

01:00:10.333 --> 01:00:13.500
The most striking aspect is that they felt

01:00:13.500 --> 01:00:15.766
they had no choice but to come out

01:00:15.766 --> 01:00:17.300
and speak so publicly.

01:00:18.900 --> 01:00:22.866
This is from Kathleen Zimmerman of Geneva.

01:00:23.466 --> 01:00:28.466
"We desire quiet home births
with little outside intrusion."

01:00:28.500 --> 01:00:30.333
With someone who understands our culture,

01:00:30.333 --> 01:00:32.266
with someone who has gifts

01:00:33.100 --> 01:00:35.533
and talents in coaching
the birthing process,

01:00:35.533 --> 01:00:40.100
Catlin's case is not
exclusively a Mennonite issue.

01:00:40.100 --> 01:00:43.700
The future of midwifery
in New York is at stake,

01:00:43.700 --> 01:00:46.600
thank you Medical Group for you are there

01:00:46.600 --> 01:00:48.866
when our bodies need your help,

01:00:48.866 --> 01:00:52.166
but set us free when we
can do it on our own.

01:00:52.166 --> 01:00:53.533
May the Lord give wisdom

01:00:53.533 --> 01:00:56.933
to all those making
decisions in this matter.

01:00:56.933 --> 01:00:58.100
Kathleen Zimmerman.

01:00:58.733 --> 01:01:00.900
(phone ringing)

01:01:01.433 --> 01:01:03.500
Hello, my name is Lisa Horning

01:01:03.500 --> 01:01:07.900
and I was reaching out to your
office about being supportive

01:01:07.900 --> 01:01:11.366
of a CPM bill, which is now titled

01:01:11.366 --> 01:01:13.133
as the Community Midwifery Bill

01:01:13.133 --> 01:01:15.966
and it's under Article 140A.

01:01:15.966 --> 01:01:18.066
I have responded to this

01:01:18.066 --> 01:01:20.966
basically with rolling my sleeves up

01:01:20.966 --> 01:01:23.733
and getting busy with legislative stuff.

01:01:23.733 --> 01:01:26.700
I've contacted President Biden many times.

01:01:26.700 --> 01:01:29.600
It's very uncommon for women to be,

01:01:29.600 --> 01:01:32.133
even men, I mean plain
community in general

01:01:32.133 --> 01:01:34.466
to be involved in politics so much,

01:01:34.466 --> 01:01:36.600
but when it really came down

01:01:36.600 --> 01:01:39.900
to that they're actually
going to arrest me,

01:01:39.900 --> 01:01:42.900
I decided why would we sit around

01:01:42.900 --> 01:01:45.433
and let these guys run the show

01:01:45.433 --> 01:01:49.300
when we could potentially
have things differently?

01:01:49.300 --> 01:01:50.800
Hi, good afternoon.

01:01:50.800 --> 01:01:51.633
Hello.

01:01:52.966 --> 01:01:54.066
Hi, Lissa.

01:01:54.900 --> 01:01:56.533
I did it this time.

01:01:57.833 --> 01:02:00.400
So Lisa, if you want to start.

01:02:01.300 --> 01:02:04.866
Leah, it says Susan Derby,
but that's Lissa Horning.

01:02:05.900 --> 01:02:06.766
Okay.

01:02:07.833 --> 01:02:09.800
She's running the meeting, so.

01:02:09.800 --> 01:02:13.366
We are asking legislators to be aware

01:02:13.366 --> 01:02:15.533
that there is a bill out there.

01:02:15.533 --> 01:02:18.633
It's called the United
Midwifery Practice Act.

01:02:18.633 --> 01:02:20.533
We really need this bill

01:02:20.533 --> 01:02:24.300
because right now in New York,
we are like 30th ranking

01:02:24.300 --> 01:02:26.333
for maternity healthcare

01:02:26.333 --> 01:02:29.266
and that's even worse than
some third world countries.

01:02:29.533 --> 01:02:30.666
(sound of plane landing)

01:02:31.333 --> 01:02:32.333
I'm all fogged up.

01:02:32.566 --> 01:02:33.400
(person laughing)

01:02:34.866 --> 01:02:36.966
Make sure I don't bang
into something, okay?

01:02:36.966 --> 01:02:38.200
Yeah, right.

01:02:38.200 --> 01:02:39.533
This is a bill

01:02:39.533 --> 01:02:43.200
that will expand midwifery
in the state of New York

01:02:43.200 --> 01:02:46.433
to include the certified
professional midwife

01:02:46.433 --> 01:02:49.433
and we're super, super excited about it.

01:02:49.433 --> 01:02:52.100
This has been a long time coming.

01:02:52.100 --> 01:02:55.600
Oh, my husband wants to know,
are you in New York City?

01:02:55.600 --> 01:02:56.733
Yes.

01:02:56.733 --> 01:02:59.400
Yes.

01:02:59.400 --> 01:03:01.133
But it really sounds like
it's an even bigger concern

01:03:01.133 --> 01:03:03.433
for our rural communities, even
more so than New York City.

01:03:03.433 --> 01:03:04.566
But in New York City,

01:03:04.566 --> 01:03:08.766
I think one of the issues
that is paramount is the fact

01:03:08.766 --> 01:03:11.800
that black and brown women are
dying eight to 12 times that

01:03:11.800 --> 01:03:13.866
of white women in this state,

01:03:13.866 --> 01:03:16.500
and they also have poor access to care.

01:03:16.500 --> 01:03:19.566
There have been so many
studies done everywhere,

01:03:19.566 --> 01:03:20.766
all across the country.

01:03:20.766 --> 01:03:22.600
New York state's maternal task force.

01:03:22.600 --> 01:03:26.466
Everybody is saying we need more midwives.

01:03:36.800 --> 01:03:38.133
Are you speaking today?

01:03:38.133 --> 01:03:38.966
Yes, we are.

01:03:39.166 --> 01:03:41.333
Can I have copies of
your testimony please?

01:03:43.866 --> 01:03:45.500
I have the original along,

01:03:45.500 --> 01:03:48.233
but they told me I don't
have to do the copy thing.

01:03:48.233 --> 01:03:50.266
Do you have a copier here if you need it?

01:03:52.233 --> 01:03:55.066
I'll make a copy and get
it right back to you.

01:03:55.066 --> 01:03:55.900
Okay, thank you.

01:03:58.200 --> 01:03:59.033
Good morning everyone.

01:03:59.033 --> 01:04:01.166
I'm very delighted to be here today

01:04:01.233 --> 01:04:03.166
to hear these testimonies

01:04:03.166 --> 01:04:06.166
and hopefully we can turn
them into legislations

01:04:06.166 --> 01:04:08.266
and policies that we can take into action

01:04:08.266 --> 01:04:13.233
in terms of providing care
for our expectant mothers.

01:04:13.233 --> 01:04:14.166
This has been a topic

01:04:14.166 --> 01:04:17.166
that I have been interested
in for a long time.

01:04:17.166 --> 01:04:20.433
I would be curious from the
people who are testifying

01:04:20.433 --> 01:04:24.500
to tie in the high level
of maternal mortality

01:04:24.500 --> 01:04:27.300
to New York state as we go
along, thank you so much.

01:04:27.300 --> 01:04:30.200
The United States is facing
a maternal mortality crisis.

01:04:30.200 --> 01:04:32.500
Closures of hospital
birth centers and labor

01:04:32.500 --> 01:04:35.000
and delivery units have
led to deserts of care.

01:04:35.000 --> 01:04:36.533
The system is broken

01:04:36.533 --> 01:04:38.533
and it makes it much
harder than it ought to be

01:04:38.533 --> 01:04:40.866
to provide care for pregnant people and their newborns

01:04:41.000 --> 01:04:44.633
Everyone knows that
obstetrics, labor and delivery

01:04:44.633 --> 01:04:48.733
is a fast, money making
opportunity for any hospital,

01:04:48.733 --> 01:04:51.466
but yet this is the medical
model that we're under.

01:05:00.766 --> 01:05:02.966
Hello, my name is Lissa Horning.

01:05:02.966 --> 01:05:07.600
I know it seems highly unlikely
to people from downstate,

01:05:07.600 --> 01:05:09.466
but there really are large populations

01:05:09.466 --> 01:05:11.800
of people in upstate also.

01:05:11.800 --> 01:05:15.466
(people laughing)

01:05:15.466 --> 01:05:18.766
You mean the Bronx, right?

01:05:18.766 --> 01:05:21.233
A study done in the Finger
Lakes region communities

01:05:21.233 --> 01:05:27.033
in 2021 showed that 95%
of women would choose home

01:05:27.233 --> 01:05:30.000
or birth center birth above hospital.

01:05:30.000 --> 01:05:34.033
I have had 10 babies
with no complications.

01:05:34.033 --> 01:05:35.733
None of them were in the hospital

01:05:35.733 --> 01:05:37.266
and none were attended

01:05:37.266 --> 01:05:40.066
by a New York state licensed provider.

01:05:40.066 --> 01:05:43.900
Why, because New York State
does not accept the education

01:05:43.900 --> 01:05:47.233
of my provider, yet her statistics

01:05:47.233 --> 01:05:50.500
far exceed any hospital for outcomes.

01:05:50.500 --> 01:05:54.566
We have a critical lack of
choices available in New York.

01:05:54.566 --> 01:05:56.733
This could be helped by accepting

01:05:56.733 --> 01:05:59.500
and licensing the community midwife

01:05:59.500 --> 01:06:02.733
who is currently criminalized
along with the families

01:06:02.733 --> 01:06:05.666
they serve for their choice of birth.

01:06:07.166 --> 01:06:09.866
We have 90 people that we're targeting.

01:06:09.866 --> 01:06:12.266
Okay?

01:06:12.266 --> 01:06:13.400
So we each have 90.

01:06:13.400 --> 01:06:14.466
We each have 90, well, there's more.

01:06:14.466 --> 01:06:15.533
Okay.

01:06:15.533 --> 01:06:16.800
Okay, packs of 10.

01:06:16.800 --> 01:06:18.333
I have green.

01:06:18.333 --> 01:06:19.166
Stamp, rubber band them,

01:06:19.166 --> 01:06:21.733
10 stamp them, rubber band them.

01:06:21.733 --> 01:06:23.566
Okay.

01:06:23.566 --> 01:06:25.300
We're targeting the Senate and Assembly,

01:06:25.300 --> 01:06:28.666
but we need this to be a bipartisan bill.

01:06:28.666 --> 01:06:30.000
Yes.

01:06:30.000 --> 01:06:30.833
It's all pregnant women.

01:06:30.833 --> 01:06:33.000
It doesn't matter what
party they belong to

01:06:33.000 --> 01:06:34.166
or if they don't belong to anyone.

01:06:34.166 --> 01:06:35.000
Right.

01:06:35.566 --> 01:06:38.733
And targeting the senators
like on Twitter and all that.

01:06:39.166 --> 01:06:41.966
I said, do you hear this
New York State Assembly,

01:06:41.966 --> 01:06:45.033
New York State Democratic Senate, NYCPM.

01:06:45.033 --> 01:06:46.833
We have a community midwifery bill

01:06:46.833 --> 01:06:49.500
that can change New York
state's horrid maternal

01:06:49.500 --> 01:06:51.000
morbidity mortality rate.

01:06:51.000 --> 01:06:55.133
Say yes to A7898, say yes to S7078

01:07:11.833 --> 01:07:14.333
I don't like to put my name to things,

01:07:14.333 --> 01:07:17.400
but I think I did help get
this bill put on the table

01:07:17.400 --> 01:07:19.466
and get a number moved forward,

01:07:21.000 --> 01:07:24.433
if it's coming from the community
who's using these services

01:07:24.433 --> 01:07:27.300
and said, we want our
midwives to be legal.

01:07:27.300 --> 01:07:29.400
It's different and they listen.

01:07:30.800 --> 01:07:33.000
All right, good afternoon everyone.

01:07:33.000 --> 01:07:33.833
My name is SeQuoia Kemp.

01:07:34.733 --> 01:07:36.866
Today I am joined by my colleagues,

01:07:36.866 --> 01:07:39.733
members of the NYCPM Incorporated,

01:07:39.733 --> 01:07:43.466
midwives of Central New York,
reproductive justice advocates

01:07:43.466 --> 01:07:47.000
and families who are advocating
for the legal recognition

01:07:47.000 --> 01:07:48.600
and licensing pathway

01:07:48.600 --> 01:07:51.100
for certified professional
midwives in New York.

01:07:51.100 --> 01:07:53.633
I wanna first welcome
some of our lawmakers

01:07:53.633 --> 01:07:54.933
who have signed on this bill

01:07:54.933 --> 01:07:58.300
because they believe
that midwives save lives.

01:07:58.300 --> 01:08:01.233
Let's give them a warm clap of my hands.

01:08:01.233 --> 01:08:04.066
(people clapping)

01:08:05.100 --> 01:08:05.933
Thank you.

01:08:05.933 --> 01:08:07.533
I'm the assembly sponsor for the bill.

01:08:08.366 --> 01:08:11.566
(people cheering)

01:08:12.233 --> 01:08:14.466
I thank you very much for coming up here.

01:08:14.466 --> 01:08:16.966
Thank you for doing what you do

01:08:16.966 --> 01:08:20.600
and supporting women through their birth.

01:08:20.600 --> 01:08:22.333
It is critically important.

01:08:22.333 --> 01:08:25.700
It's you who really help us get
to a better birthing outcome

01:08:26.533 --> 01:08:28.033
for women in this state.

01:08:28.033 --> 01:08:29.900
It's time to get the bill done

01:08:29.900 --> 01:08:32.333
and I am very proud to
be the assembly sponsor.

01:08:32.333 --> 01:08:33.400
Thank you so much.

01:08:33.566 --> 01:08:34.900
(people cheering)

01:08:35.166 --> 01:08:37.633
(people clapping)

01:08:38.000 --> 01:08:40.500
When I say midwives, you say save lives.

01:08:40.500 --> 01:08:41.233
Midwives.

01:08:41.233 --> 01:08:41.933
[Audience] Save lives.

01:08:41.933 --> 01:08:42.766
Midwives.

01:08:42.766 --> 01:08:43.366
[Audience] Save lives.

01:08:43.366 --> 01:08:45.666
When I say midwives, you say save lives.

01:08:45.666 --> 01:08:46.500
Midwives.

01:08:46.500 --> 01:08:47.333
[Audience] Save lives.

01:08:47.333 --> 01:08:48.033
Midwives.

01:08:48.033 --> 01:08:49.133
[Audience] Save lives.

01:08:49.166 --> 01:08:51.900
(birds chirping)

01:08:55.266 --> 01:08:57.600
(person typing)

01:09:01.500 --> 01:09:04.300
Today we are going to the plea hearing,

01:09:04.300 --> 01:09:08.400
which I am going to plead guilty

01:09:08.400 --> 01:09:11.100
to practicing midwifery without a license.

01:09:13.800 --> 01:09:17.900
I guess there's no disputing that fact,

01:09:18.800 --> 01:09:23.300
but I've always come at it from the fact that

01:09:24.800 --> 01:09:27.800
it's legal to have a
home birth in New York state,

01:09:29.800 --> 01:09:32.866
a woman has a right to
choose who she has there,

01:09:32.866 --> 01:09:37.366
so I dunno, but I guess I was practicing

01:09:37.366 --> 01:09:38.966
midwifery without a license.

01:09:41.733 --> 01:09:43.766
Thank you for coming.

01:09:43.766 --> 01:09:44.833
You're welcome.

01:09:45.033 --> 01:09:48.233
Oh, you're such, a true blue friend.

01:09:52.266 --> 01:09:53.866
Absolutely.

01:09:53.866 --> 01:09:55.500
One last time.

01:09:55.500 --> 01:09:57.133
Yes, just this one last time

01:09:57.633 --> 01:10:01.333
The prosecution agreed to
drop all charges against Liz,

01:10:01.333 --> 01:10:05.733
except for that of practicing
midwifery without a license.

01:10:06.933 --> 01:10:08.600
He came to understand

01:10:08.600 --> 01:10:10.766
that there was significant
medical evidence

01:10:10.766 --> 01:10:13.266
that showed that Liz was not responsible

01:10:13.266 --> 01:10:14.666
for the baby's death.

01:10:16.133 --> 01:10:18.300
This is the beginning of
the next phase, right?

01:10:18.400 --> 01:10:20.033
Now that you've gotten this far,

01:10:20.333 --> 01:10:22.533
that this information can be used

01:10:22.533 --> 01:10:24.266
as power for the bill because.

01:10:24.266 --> 01:10:25.900
Well, that's what I want to make sure,

01:10:25.900 --> 01:10:27.466
that this is a catalyst.

01:10:27.466 --> 01:10:30.000
The outrage that people have felt

01:10:30.000 --> 01:10:33.233
for, you know, three
midwives getting arrested.

01:10:34.733 --> 01:10:37.366
You know, it's insane.

01:10:37.600 --> 01:10:41.100
Part of it honestly was our willingness

01:10:41.100 --> 01:10:44.966
to say, yes, we did illegally practice,

01:10:46.066 --> 01:10:49.100
but there are explanations
for what she did

01:10:49.100 --> 01:10:52.800
that I think gives a
strong argument for mercy

01:10:52.800 --> 01:10:57.700
because she served many
people as she broke the law.

01:10:57.700 --> 01:11:00.300
(gentle music)

01:11:06.800 --> 01:11:08.466
(people cheering)

01:11:08.466 --> 01:11:11.300
(people clapping)

01:11:12.633 --> 01:11:14.066
Okay, I am gonna say it..

01:11:14.833 --> 01:11:16.266
I'm Elizabeth Catlin,

01:11:16.366 --> 01:11:19.400
a certified professional midwife.

01:11:19.400 --> 01:11:22.600
(people cheering)

01:11:22.600 --> 01:11:25.200
I've never said that in public before

01:11:25.200 --> 01:11:27.733
because it's not legal
here in New York state.

01:11:27.733 --> 01:11:29.600
I wanna become like Finland

01:11:29.600 --> 01:11:33.266
and the Scandinavian countries
where midwives are revered,

01:11:33.266 --> 01:11:35.666
midwives are respected and midwives.

01:11:35.900 --> 01:11:40.066
(people clapping)

01:11:41.066 --> 01:11:42.633
midwives are considered

01:11:42.633 --> 01:11:45.866
the professionals in childbirth

01:11:46.300 --> 01:11:48.600
and with the community midwifery bill.

01:11:48.666 --> 01:11:50.366
We finally have some language

01:11:50.366 --> 01:11:52.533
that protects us community
midwives

01:11:52.666 --> 01:11:54.333
So let’s stick with it

01:11:54.333 --> 01:11:55.566
We're almost there.

01:11:55.700 --> 01:11:58.933
Be thankful that we can
continue in this country

01:11:59.000 --> 01:12:01.566
to work for freedom.

01:12:01.733 --> 01:12:03.533
Thank you everybody, I love you all.

01:12:03.533 --> 01:12:07.300
(people clapping)

01:12:07.300 --> 01:12:08.333
Before people leave, I would like

01:12:08.366 --> 01:12:11.166
to orchestrate one
photo if I could please.

01:12:11.166 --> 01:12:15.466
Would any children born with Liz's help

01:12:15.466 --> 01:12:18.933
and would any mothers
who were assisted by Liz,

01:12:18.933 --> 01:12:21.400
would you mind surrounding Liz

01:12:21.400 --> 01:12:23.200
and being photographed with her

01:12:24.400 --> 01:12:27.266
and if the children would come in front.

01:12:28.000 --> 01:12:28.833
There we go.

01:12:33.000 --> 01:12:35.833
(camera snapping)

01:12:37.300 --> 01:12:39.866
(gentle music)

01:12:48.866 --> 01:12:49.900
(court gavel banging)

01:12:49.900 --> 01:12:51.400
All rise, court is now reconvened.

01:12:54.866 --> 01:12:56.066
Case number eight.

01:12:56.066 --> 01:12:58.266
The people versus Melissa Carman,

01:12:58.266 --> 01:13:00.466
has the jury agreed upon a verdict?

01:13:00.466 --> 01:13:01.466
Yes.

01:13:01.766 --> 01:13:04.866
How do you find in the people of the state of New York

01:13:05.033 --> 01:13:07.633
against the defendant, Melissa Carmen,

01:13:07.866 --> 01:13:11.833
charging her with a crime
of unauthorized practice

01:13:11.933 --> 01:13:14.166
of the profession of midwifery.

01:13:14.166 --> 01:13:15.900
Guilty or not guilty?

01:13:15.933 --> 01:13:17.366
Guilty.

01:13:17.433 --> 01:13:20.033
As to tampering with physical evidence.

01:13:26.733 --> 01:13:28.466
This is the primary birthing room.

01:13:28.466 --> 01:13:31.866
It's all the babies that
have been born here so far.

01:13:31.866 --> 01:13:32.700
A lot.

01:13:32.700 --> 01:13:33.766
Lots of boys.

01:13:33.766 --> 01:13:34.800
Yeah.

01:13:34.800 --> 01:13:37.966
The boys are about two
ahead on the girls,

01:13:37.966 --> 01:13:41.000
so, and then this room,

01:13:43.666 --> 01:13:45.600
this is the second birthing room here.

01:13:53.600 --> 01:13:58.400
speaking in Pennsylvania Dutch