Out-of-hospital births twice as deadly, GateHouse investigation finds
In the spring of 2013, Amanda Garbacz was on top of the world. A standout student, she had recently graduated from the University of Arkansas with a civil engineering degree and become engaged to another engineer. Now she was about to become a new mother.
The previous fall, Amanda, then 23, learned she was pregnant. Her early prenatal checkups showed her to be in generally sound health, but raised several concerns. She had seen a cardiologist for a rapid heartbeat and arm numbness. In October, an obstetrician also had noted her asthma and labeled her pregnancy “high-risk.”
Looking to save money and be closer to family, in early 2013 the young couple moved from Arkansas to the East Texas town of Wake Village, just west of Texarkana. Unable to find a local obstetrician she could afford, in February 2013, she signed a contract with Alternative Birth Choices, a local midwifery practice.
Licensed briefly in Arkansas, Lindsey Cooper had moved to Texas several years earlier. After starting formal midwife training, records show she interrupted her studies when she was recalled to active duty for the U.S. Army National Guard. Cooper over the next several years self-studied and apprenticed with other midwives.
Read more: https://www.statesman.com/news/20181124/out-of-hospital-births-twice-as-deadly-gatehouse-investigation-finds