Independent Homebirth Midwives in France: The Persecution of a Profession

In France, although the vast majority of births take place in hospitals, some women prefer to give birth at home with the assistance of a midwife. In recent years, eight midwives attending home births have had their licenses revoked by the National Council of Midwives. In this article I discuss the complaints that led to seven midwives' lifetime ban from practising, their reflections on why they were disbarred, and their perspectives on the technologization of childbirth. My goal is to understand why some independent midwives continue to attend home births without insurance, exposing themselves to disbarment and prosecution.