Brickbat: The Birds and the Bees

In New York, Elizabeth Catlin faces felony charges, including working as a midwife without a license. Catlin is certified professional midwife and has successfully delivered hundreds of babies over the past three decades. But New York has some of the most severe restrictions on midwives in the nation, only allowing certified nurse midwives (CNMs) and certified midwives to practice in the state. Both CNMs and certified midwives require extensive training, including graduate degrees. And CNMs tend to practice in hospitals and not do home births like Catlin does.