Leading with Compassion: Dr. Darrell Martin’s Story of Midwifery Advocacy

The practice of midwifery has had a long and complicated history in the United States, and Dr. Darrell Martin has been part of that story for decades. Having seen the practice pushed out of the mainstream and then doing the hard work of bringing it back into the conversation, Dr. Martin is ready to tell the story from his perspective.

His new book, In Good Hands: Breaking Barriers for Midwifery and Birth Rights, provides valuable insights into the advocacy for maternal healthcare and the rights of Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs), the experiences of those involved, and perspectives on a patient’s freedom to choose their own health providers.

The Right Doctor to Call Out Systematic Issues

Dr. Martin’s introduction to maternal healthcare was through traditional medical education. He witnessed maternal care and the struggles mothers face firsthand at many different medical institutions, observing early on that the dominant practices surrounding childbirth failed to adequately respect the decisions of mothers and provided no room for midwives, as CNMs were consistently undervalued and underrepresented.

As Dr. Martin progressed in his career, he felt aggrieved by how the field relied on entrenched practices and was resistant to change that he felt would make childbirth safer and healthier. He recognized the benefits that would come with integrating midwifery into mainstream healthcare, but his peers and the medical institutions around him didn’t see things the same way.

This pressure would eventually come to a breaking point and push Dr. Martin into decisive advocacy.

Standing up for Midwifery and Birth Rights

In 1980, Dr. Martin’s career took a pivotal turn. His support for incorporating midwifery alongside standard hospital procedures led to the loss of his malpractice insurance, forcing him out of his work at his Nashville practice. This was a significant blow to his career, which was intended to push him away from midwife advocacy, but instead, it became the catalyst for even more impassioned work.

Far from turning aside from his belief in alternative maternal care, Dr. Martin invested himself even further in the improvement of healthcare, and his advocacy became active, targeted, and collaborative.

Dr. Martin found midwives and other healthcare providers who also believed in this advocacy. He began to work with them to promote patient-centered care, the practice of midwifery, and the right of birthing mothers to choose how their children would be born and what kind of care they would receive.

“Midwives fulfill a critical role in the birth process,” insists Dr. Martin. “Historically, CNMs have faced challenges with ‘mainstream’ healthcare, and any OBGYNs or other doctors who supported midwives, therefore, also experienced backlash.”

Having experienced this backlash firsthand and found his way to even greater advocacy through it, Dr. Martin has been able to contribute to important discussions and initiatives in midwifery and women’s healthcare.

This has taken many forms over the years, much of which involved legal and regulatory advocacy. Dr. Martin took part in a Congressional subcommittee hearing as an expert witness, explaining the benefits of midwifery care and the need for greater integration of CNMs in the healthcare system.

In another instance, Dr. Martin’s perspectives contributed to a Federal Trade Commission ruling that exposed how anti-competitive practices were being used to limit the work of midwives. Yet another example came when Dr. Martin was involved in antitrust litigation that directly challenged some of the systematic barriers to the practice of midwifery.

These events and the stories of Dr. Martin’s collaborators and allies in advocacy are all part of the long history of midwifery in the United States. It is a process that still continues, and Dr. Martin’s book captures a snapshot of the current moment alongside these historical perspectives.

Sharing Experiences and Insights with In Good Hands

Dr. Martin’s new book, In Good Hands: Breaking Barriers for Midwifery and Birth Rights, provides valuable historical context and documents Dr. Martin’s perspectives on the evolution of midwifery and advocacy efforts over the past four decades. The book will teach about the challenges faced by those who advocate for change in maternal healthcare and also help demystify midwifery and the work of CNMs by addressing common misconceptions and explaining potential benefits.

It is Dr. Martin’s hope that the book, which was inspired by his long-standing commitment to changing the status quo and bringing midwives into the mainstream, can inspire future healthcare professionals to take on the work of influencing policy.

The work of this advocacy continues, and the book contributes to that work by addressing growing public interest, answering questions, and bringing new allies up to date on efforts that have gone before. As an Amazon bestseller, the book has gained significant reach.

A Written Legacy to Inform a Future Vision

Promoting more collaborative care models that fully incorporate CNMs remains a priority for Dr. Martin and other advocates. The experiences and insights of professionals help to contribute to a broader understanding of the issues at stake, letting mothers know that efforts to improve care for them and their families require the ongoing collaboration of many individuals and organizations throughout the healthcare community.

The recorded history and perspectives in Dr. Martin’s book will contribute to the many arenas where this advocacy is taking place: in pushing policy reform, supporting regulatory changes, and expanding awareness.

So much has been done, and there is so much left to do, but the framework for progress has been established, and there is momentum behind this advocacy. With ongoing support from mothers and their families and further discussion among the public, the work of CNMs and the rights of mothers will continue to progress.