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We used Ian and Rose Penwell of the Natural Alternative Midwifery Practice for a home birth of our second child. Huge mistake! They never disclosed to us that they do not carry any liability/malpractice insurance. They also lied about the fact that they live in the Philippines and were only in the US for two years. They lied about the level of their experience, which is minimal. My wife is now needing reconstructive surgery to fix bad suturing performed by Ian Penwell. The suturing was insufficient and the tear remained open. Ian was also late for the delivery, which resulted in my wife needing to go to the ER three days later. After the ordeal, Ian and Rose refused to accept ANY responsibility, either coming up with excuses or ignoring our complaints.
If you are pregnant and are considering your options, please inform yourselves and do a lot of research if you decide to go the midwife/homebirth route. The problem with midwifery in Idaho is that the midwives are not regulated and there is no oversight or accountability. You could potentially find yourself in a dangerous situation and be looking at a trip to the ER - something you need to consider not just for yourself, but for your baby.
We want to put this information out there because in our case, what could have been an easy delivery ended up a nightmare for us. Not to mention the fact that the Penwells are still practicing, and have not taken any responsibility or acknowledged any mistakes on their part.
I agree that Rose and Ian Penwell are very capable and confident midwives. I used them for my 4th son's birth in April 2010. It was a fabulous experience. I wish i could have used them for my previous births but i lived in Iowa (where it is illegal) and didn't know them!
I agree with everything stated in the last comments (positive review).I felt Ian & Rose were very respectful of traditional Westernized medical care... they informed me of their care & encouraged me to use both as needed. They are always striving for more understanding of the body and best practicing methods. They are great at communicating, thorough in their work, pay attention to detail, gave me Strep B medication via IV b4 the birth, spent SO much time talking to me, prepping me, informing me (way more than any medical doc i have ever used)... I had an extremely positive experience, and that was after 3 births (hospital) so I feel I have a fairly solid background in birthing. I have BS in human biology, Masters in science teaching, and married to a doctor so I feel I have good foundational knowledge...and several sisters who have all used midwives. As I have shared birthing experiences with friends family etc, I have continued to realize just how amazing Ian and Rose are. I absolutely love them and their commitment to providing and improving good health care for expectant mothers all over the world.
Midwifes are a complete scam.
It's more dangerous than going to Mexico to see an unlicensed cosmetic surgeon. Except, they're even more insidious because they have an entire campaign of proganda out there to sell the notion that it's safer. They trick unsuspecting mothers into undergoing a dangerous procedure in a completely unregulated environment. The death rate of children is 7x times highier. Any anti homebirth stuff you see, by people who have been harmed by it, or professionals speaking out against it is followed by a wave of brainwashed idiots akin to global warming deniers.
Midwifes can't have malpractice insurance because they're uninsurable. You can't insure a non practice for malpractice. It's too risky. Instead they make you sign all your rights away and pay up front.
If you get a midwife you're a fool and you're putting your child's life at risk for nothing.
I couldn't disagree more with this complaint. I also used Ian and Rose Penwell and The Natural Alternative Midwifery for the birth of my first child. They were the best possible midwives for me. They were always available when I needed them, they answered all my questions and were both professional but also casual enough that I was relaxed at our pre-natal appointments. The charge that they lied seems unlikely to me - as they were very open about their commitment to the Philippines and their limited time here in the U.S. In fact, that was one of the things that I liked and respected them for. Also, the charge that their experience is minimal is false as well. They have ample experience, have midwifery in their family and teach midwifery to interns and students as well. Everything that I needed for my pre-natal, delivery and post partum experience was satisfied and I don't think they could have done a better job with everything. I am 100% confident in them and only wish that they would be around for another home birth with me in the future. Thank you Ian and Rose for everything you have done and done so well. - Kasey Boles