Comments | pezzae: For those who care about the changes to maternity services legislation

pezzae

For those who care about the changes to maternity services legislation

Jul 20, 2009 11:57

Sorry for short notice but I just found this out:
There is a bill currently before the House of Reps that would provide insurance for independent midwives, allowing them to practice next year, and thus allowing attended home births.
ETA: According to Read more... )

e-activism, baby-related, feminism

Comments 4

pezzae July 20 2009, 06:28:04 UTC

My submission ( ... )

jay_is_me July 20 2009, 17:32:52 UTC

I got home too late to put together a submission :( If I have time tomorrow I'll try send in a late one ( ... )

pezzae July 21 2009, 03:43:22 UTC

Agree with all of the above!
I'm going to the birth centre at Monash Medical - I was considering a home birth (with a midwife of course, would never consider a first time birth with no-one there who knew what they were doing!) but Don was a bit freaked out at the idea. Birth centre is a good compromise in that it's midwife-led, and aims for minimal intervention, but is just down the corridor from the obstetricians and NICU if anything goes wrong. I'm really not relishing the thought of having to take a car trip halfway through labour though... and I would like to have continuous care with one provider, which in Melb you can only get with an independent midwife (birth centre is team-based, so I've met most of the midwives at my antenatal visits and will thus hopefully know whoever is on shift when I come in to have the baby - but it's not quite as good as one-to-one care).

(The comment has been removed)

pezzae July 21 2009, 11:25:43 UTC

I do feel comfortable with all the birth centre midwives I've met, so even if it isn't someone I know already, I'm sure they will be just as competent and friendly as the others. And the entire birth centre ethos fits with my birth plan (well, you know, birthing wishes - I know babies don't follow plans!) so I'm not worried that I'll get someone who is going to intervene unnecessarily. They have a 24-hour phone number so I can ring whenever and describe what's happening and they will let me know whether to come in or wait and see. So I am feeling pretty good about this birth. Just the travel thing... though it's not too far for me. It would make so much more sense to fund midwives in regional towns than make women travel long distances to hospitals...