Subdivision 1. General. Within the meaning of sections 147D.01 to 147D.27, a person who shall publicly profess to be a traditional midwife and who, for a fee, shall assist or attend to a woman in pregnancy, childbirth outside a hospital, and postpartum, shall be regarded as practicing traditional midwifery.

Subd. 2. Scope of practice. The practice of traditional midwifery includes, but is not limited to:

(1) initial and ongoing assessment for suitability of traditional midwifery care;

(2) providing prenatal education and coordinating with a licensed health care provider as necessary to provide comprehensive prenatal care, including the routine monitoring of vital signs, indicators of fetal developments, and laboratory tests, as needed, with attention to the physical, nutritional, and emotional needs of the woman and her family;

(3) attending and supporting the natural process of labor and birth;

(4) postpartum care of the mother and an initial assessment of the newborn; and

(5) providing information and referrals to community resources on childbirth preparation, breastfeeding, exercise, nutrition, parenting, and care of the newborn.

Subd. 3. Unauthorized services. The practice of traditional midwifery does not include:

(1) the use of any surgical instrument at a childbirth, except as necessary to sever the umbilical cord or repair a first- or second-degree perineal laceration;

(2) the assisting of childbirth by artificial or mechanical means; or

(3) the removal of a placenta accreta.

History: 1999 c 162 s 2