A continuing feud between home birth advocates and medical authorities has resulted in one set of parents having to attend hospital at a cost of $8,000 for the delivery of their child.

For four other parents, the search for a supervisor to oversee home births is growing urgent, as a result of Bermuda Medical Council regulations they charge are “obscure and obstructive”.

Home birth advocate Sophia Cannonier was able to secure a work permit for an overseas midwife, Colleen Donovan-Batson — but council rules require her replacement, due on Tuesday, to administer home births only with a supervisor present.

“We feel the council is setting obscure guidelines that are being pulled out of the air,” Ms Cannonier said. “Clients don’t need to go through stress at 39, 40 weeks of pregnancy.”

The delay for Ms Donovan-Batson’s permit meant she missed one home birth by a single day — leaving the parents no recourse but to attend King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

“They arrived at 6.30am, gave birth a half-hour later, and were home by 12 noon, with no need for intervention, and they got an $8,000 bill — $2,000 for a doctor who wasn’t even there, $2,000 for the doctor that took over, and $4,000 from the hospital, which is a set bill rather than a bill on an hourly basis,” said Ms Cannonier.

A spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health said that “the matter regarding supervision has been resolved already, as registered midwives do not require supervision”.

However, home birthers say replacement midwife Carlotta Crawford, due next week from the US, has been told she can’t attend out-of-hospital deliveries without a supervisor.

Compounding the problem is the fact that, so far, nobody local can be found to watch over midwives: a number of obstetricians have said they’re open to the idea, but their medical insurance won’t cover them for home births.

Ms Cannonier continued: “We don’t want to upset the apple cart — it’s not home births or bust; we agree with doing things safely.

“We’ve found a Bermudian who could come in from London, but it would cost our clients an exorbitant amount of money.”

She added: “This particular midwife does hot have home birth experience, but because she is Bermudian she meets the credentials.”

Meanwhile, advocates said Ms Crawford, who has experience in the field, was being required to obtain supervision because she hadn’t conducted any home births in recent years.

“Where does the council get off in creating criteria that can’t be met and that don’t exist in law?” Ms Cannonier said.

“We have a midwife coming who has a work permit and has passed the midwife exam, but the council is saying because she hasn’t done a home birth in a certain amount of time, she needs to be observed?”

In a letter to Bermuda Medical Council head and chief medical officer Cheryl Peek-Ball, one mother — who asked for her name not to be published — said the standoff was leading to “harmful and unnecessary stress”.

At a meeting with Dr Peek-Ball last month, the two sides agreed to several points of temporary consensus, including that all births should be attended by a registered healthcare professional — a nurse, midwife or physician trained in home deliveries.

“Please note that it was stated that one or the other, not necessarily both, are needed,” the expectant mother wrote. “After that point, we would work together for a more permanent and beneficial solution for all involved.”

She said: “Now I receive word that my midwife, an intelligent, experienced woman who passed all requirements to perform as my midwife in Bermuda, may have to be directly supervised during my delivery.

“Worst of all is that I must keep finding out about these unannounced changes via my birth team at the last moment.”

She added: “I do not wish to feel that I must engage in a battle for a basic right.”

The Ministry spokeswoman said that families with concerns over the policy should address the Ministry, adding: “The Chief Medical Officer is happy to discuss with the individuals involved.”