This paper was written and released to the membership for a written history of NCMA in 2000.

North Carolina Midwifery Alliance
History

The North Carolina Midwifery Alliance began in the fall of 1993 in Asheville, NC. For years midwives had been involved in another midwifery organization which was centered in the Chapel Hill area--CAAM (Carolinians for the Advancement of Midwifery). The leaders of this organization were very involved in the legislative effort in 1983, which had failed, but did accomplish two things:

a.) It paved the way for certified nurse-midwives to be legally recognized in North Carolina

b.) It enabled Lisa Goldstein (lay midwife) to be "grandmothered" in and thus provided her the status of legal practice.

Lay midwives were encouraged by the CNMs at the time to bide their time until the CNMs were well-established and then the way would be paved for the lay midwives to become legal as well. Over the next 10 years, CAAM switched its focus from legislation for lay midwives, to supporting the birth center initiative. CAAM leaders had burnt out and become disillusioned with the 1983 legislative effort. Despite vocal protests to the contrary, any attempts to revitalize a legislative drive were squelched. The birth center opened and many lay midwives became employed there.

In 1993 there was an unfortunate outcome in the Asheville area which motivated local midwives to form a midwifery organization which could address the concerns of midwives attending home births. This situation resulted in the disintegration of support from the medical community. Options available for homebirth clients dwindled, and legal fires were burning as the legal community debated how the situation would be handled. The circumstances surrounding the unfortunate outcome were not a good reflection of midwifery care. The issues surrounding this tragedy outraged the medical and midwifery community alike, but there was no vehicle by which either could communicate with one another. NCMA was created to serve as such a vehicle.

The founding mothers of the North Carolina Midwifery Alliance were Pat Roy, Magi King, Jan Verhaeghe, Lisa Goldstein, Karen Senechal, Jennifer Seymour, Karen Valcourt, and Nancy Koerber.

These midwives developed a very specific agenda for this organization. The North Carolina Midwifery Alliance was to be a state organization of the Midwifery Alliance of North America. The initial objectives of the organization were to create a support network for all practicing homebirth midwives. It was to provide a communication link between midwives and the medical community-initially in response to the local unfortunate outcome. NCMA also was to facilitate educational opportunities for practicing midwives. These founding mothers developed goals for establishing standards of practice and a code of ethics which would be voluntarily adopted by NCMA practicing midwives. A legislative agenda was also considered a long-term goal.

NCMA initially limited its membership to only midwives from the western North Carolina since most of the consumer demand for homebirth and the widest range of options were centered in this local area. The strategy was to build a strong foundation in the western region of grassroots support of both consumers and medical practitioners and then move east. This was also to prevent confusion over the difference between the goals of NCMA and CAAM.

The western NC midwives were interested in moving towards a more professionally recognized stature while still maintaining their foundation in the spirit of traditional midwifery.

However, eastern NC midwives began to approach NCMA from the beginning about opening the membership to all NC midwives, and after much thoughtful consideration, NCMA accepted memberships from all interested parties.

NCMA Timeline:

8/1993
Meeting of the "founding mothers" at Ike's in Asheville.
The North Carolina Midwifery Alliance was born.

9/1993-The first membership meeting of NCMA Officers Elected

1994-Adoption of MANA Standards of Practice statement

1994-Adoption of MANA Code of Ethics

1994-Adoption of MANA Core Competencies

1994-Initiation of Peer Review

1996-Clarification of Peer Review Process
Election of Peer Review Board
Accepted NARM Process

1997-Adoption of a NCMA Ethics Code

1997-Agreement to Endorse the CPM model

1998-Legislative Bill drafted and sponsors to the bill obtained

1999-Legislation introduced

1999-Bill remained in committee

2000-Bill reintroduced