Some Indiana women are hiring midwives with little or no real medical training to deliver babies at home, with deadly consequences
Some of those women belong to Quiverfull, an extreme religious movement whose members many home schooled shun doctors and strive to have as many children as possible in order to build what they call God's army. The belief stems from Psalm 127 of the Bible. Former Quiverfull members say they believe they should have as many children as God grants.
A growing trend among these fundamentalist Christians is the practice of home deliveries, otherwise known as "bathtub births." According to those who have been following the trend, the pregnant women often have little or no real medical care.
Thirty-seven year-old Carri Chimelewski of Richmond, Indiana was so proud of her growing family she started a website posting pictures of her latest pregnancy online.
She recently blogged on her website, "My body is full my legs can only take so much."
Readers of her blog say Carri went on to write her unlicensed midwife Brandi Wood had dismissed Carri's concerns about her symptoms including fatigue. Readers say Carri wrote that Brandi reassurred her the problems were from carrying twins.
But experts say her huge pregnancy and belly were more likely the result of misdiagnosed pregnancy complications.
Three weeks overdue Carri wrote on her blog, "Our midwife has calmed our thoughts." She believed that God would handle any problems she had with her pregnancy. Followers also say Carri dismissed doctors as idolatry.
The Chimelewski's continued to plan to have their twins at home.
Throughout Carri's pregnancy Wood and her assistant Marisol Holman of the Christian midwifery home4birth.com were seen giving her medical care. Fox 59 checked state records and neither had a license to practice medicine.
Then on June 19th Carri Chimelewski went into labor at home still thinking she was having twins.
Fox59 obtained the 911 tape from that day. Her husband Mark made the call.
Mark Chimelewski: "I have an emergency, my wife is in labor. She just passed out." Dispatch: "How many babies has she had?" Mark Chimelewski: "Nine" Mark Chimelewski; "I need paramedics now...Carrie, C'mon...take the oxygen you need it."
"From that day she (Carri) did die more than once," said Shawn Phenis the lead EMT responder on that day.
The fire department report says the midwives were giving Carri oxygen.
State Senator Pat Miller who's familiar with unlicensed midwives operating in the state says what they were doing was illegal since neither midwife had a license to practice medicine.
"This was definitely a high risk pregnancy," said Barbara Bechtel a state licensed certified nurse midwife with advanced medical training.
Bechtel says twins should never be delivered at home.
Fox59 asked Bechtel if she thought a mistake was made by the midwife.
"Yes," she responded.
Some of those women belong to Quiverfull, an extreme religious movement whose members many home schooled shun doctors and strive to have as many children as possible in order to build what they call God's army. The belief stems from Psalm 127 of the Bible. Former Quiverfull members say they believe they should have as many children as God grants.
A growing trend among these fundamentalist Christians is the practice of home deliveries, otherwise known as "bathtub births." According to those who have been following the trend, the pregnant women often have little or no real medical care.
Thirty-seven year-old Carri Chimelewski of Richmond, Indiana was so proud of her growing family she started a website posting pictures of her latest pregnancy online.
She recently blogged on her website, "My body is full my legs can only take so much."
Readers of her blog say Carri went on to write her unlicensed midwife Brandi Wood had dismissed Carri's concerns about her symptoms including fatigue. Readers say Carri wrote that Brandi reassurred her the problems were from carrying twins.
But experts say her huge pregnancy and belly were more likely the result of misdiagnosed pregnancy complications.
Three weeks overdue Carri wrote on her blog, "Our midwife has calmed our thoughts." She believed that God would handle any problems she had with her pregnancy. Followers also say Carri dismissed doctors as idolatry.
The Chimelewski's continued to plan to have their twins at home.
Throughout Carri's pregnancy Wood and her assistant Marisol Holman of the Christian midwifery home4birth.com were seen giving her medical care. Fox 59 checked state records and neither had a license to practice medicine.
Then on June 19th Carri Chimelewski went into labor at home still thinking she was having twins.
Fox59 obtained the 911 tape from that day. Her husband Mark made the call.
Mark Chimelewski: "I have an emergency, my wife is in labor. She just passed out." Dispatch: "How many babies has she had?" Mark Chimelewski: "Nine" Mark Chimelewski; "I need paramedics now...Carrie, C'mon...take the oxygen you need it."
"From that day she (Carri) did die more than once," said Shawn Phenis the lead EMT responder on that day.
The fire department report says the midwives were giving Carri oxygen.
State Senator Pat Miller who's familiar with unlicensed midwives operating in the state says what they were doing was illegal since neither midwife had a license to practice medicine.
"This was definitely a high risk pregnancy," said Barbara Bechtel a state licensed certified nurse midwife with advanced medical training.
Bechtel says twins should never be delivered at home.
Fox59 asked Bechtel if she thought a mistake was made by the midwife.
"Yes," she responded.
