For two of my births, Virginia regulations caused obstacles and traumas for me and my family. 

After my first birth at home, my midwives had to transfer me to the hospital to get stitches for a tear, because the regulations in Virginia did not allow them to carry analgesic medication that would make getting the few stitches needed painless to do in my own bed. My midwives were fully trained to perform the procedure, but instead I had to be separated from my newborn, spend 6 hours siting in the ER waiting room, and then have an ER doctor do the procedure after complaining that he had to bring all of his tools from L&D to ER to do it. All of this while my new baby was at home waiting to start learning to breastfeed. It was an unnecessary inconvenience for everyone involved. 

For a different pregnancy, I was again planning to give birth in my home in Virginia, but thanks to the regulations, I was risked out of care due to being diagnosed with twins. In hopes of avoiding having to labor and deliver in an OR, I found that my only affordable option was to leave the country. Meanwhile, my friend in Minnesota had no issues having her twins peacefully at home, fully supported by her community. 

This is not empowering for women of Virginia, nor their children. A planned home birth is just as safe if not safer than a hospital birth. If midwives were allowed to practice the full spectrum of care they have been trained for, women of Virginia would see better birth outcomes.