H is for Homebirth

OK, I know that this is a very controversial topic, even among my family members, but I wanted to talk about it because it has become a matter of injustice that women, after June 2010, women will be forced into hospitals to birth their babies.  The Federal Government has decided that all midwives will require indemnity insurance, but this insurance will not be available to Independent Midwives, most of whom attend Homebirths.

I have had three hospital births.  All of them went relatively smoothly, and the midwives who attended were very good.  Some people are not so lucky.  I find the hospital system is not conducive to a good birth experience.  We see a midwife for all our anti-natal care, the same person most of the time.  This is good.  We build a trust with them, and share our pregnancy with them.  I had the same midwife for two of my pregnancies.  Someone who was a friend of my MIL, and we got on well.  Fast forward to labour day, and after arriving at he hospital and being poked and prodded, I end up with a midwife who I know nothing about.  I am expected to trust that this person is going to advocate in the best way for me to have the outcome I desire.  Luckily, again, I had three very good midwives, and I also had my MIL present at the first birth.  She is a midwife also, and a lactation consultant.  She was my advocate when I no longer had the control to tell them what I wanted.  For the second and third births I knew what I wanted and I was determined to get it.

Again, not all women are so lucky.  Decisions are made through time-limits, and protocols.  If dilation hasn't occurred within a certain time frame, syntocin is administered through the drip-of-pain.  Eventually, the pain becomes so severe that an epidural is begged for, this is after the gas, pethidine...... all which effect the baby in-utero.  Then, because she can no longer feel the contractions she cannot help to push, and so an episiotomy is performed, with or without the forceps, or the vacuum.  In the end, a labour which may have progressed along fine, even though it was a little more slowly, becomes a full- blown medical intervention nightmare.  The lack of control this woman has will haunt her forever.  And that is assuming that the OB doesn't wander in and say "time for a CS", then it is a whole new barrel of interventions.

I fully support the right for a women to have the birth she desires.  A homebirth, which is attended by a Certified Independent Midwife, would be my desire were I to birth again.  I am not an advocate of freebirthing, without a midwife in attendance however.  I think at some point there needs to be a educated Midwife there to make the decision that may become impossible for the birthing mother to make, to transfer or not to transfer.

This will become the problem with the Governments plan.  Homebirths will go underground, or worse still, more and more freebirths will take place, and the infant mortality rate will rise.  Why do we need to take that risk?  Why deny a women the right to birth at home with a CMW in attendance.

Now just a few websites which are very informative:

Homebirth Australia

WHO IS HOMEBIRTH AUSTRALIA?

Homebirth Australia is a group of consumers and midwives committed to ensuring the survival of homebirth as a birth option for Australian women, with the overall aim of public funded homebirth across the country.

Homebirth Australia aims to:

    * support the rights of homebirth parents to choose how, where and with whom they give birth.

    * increase public awareness and acceptance of homebirth.

    * provide communication and support to members of Homebirth Australia.

    * provide information to parents planning homebirth.

    * provide information, support and networking to service providers.

• convene an annual national conference.

Joyous Birth www.joyousbirth.info

And finally just a reminder that this year is:

2009 - The Year of Birth Trauma Awareness!