Rights & Responsibilities
Justine Caines examines our rights and responsibilities as maternity consumers
Lareen Newman on why Homebirth should be supported with an interesting editorial reply from Obstetrician, Dr David Ellwood.
This article argues that the continuing reluctance on the part of professional and bureaucratic bodies in Australia to provide for and support planned attended homebirth for low-risk women is unfounded according to the research evidence. It also suggests that such lack of support might be encouraging some planned but intentionally unattended homebirths to occur in Australia, particularly as in recent years there appears to have been an increase in popularity in freebirth (or do-it-yourself homebirth). The article calls for RANZCOG and Australian state health departments to support planned attended homebirth for low-risk women in the face of what is now a considerable amount of evidence showing its safety, when compared with unplanned homebirth and hospital birth. The article raises a number of challenging issues for obstetricians, midwives and managers or planners of maternity services.
Sally Dillon, Writer and homebirth Mother of 2 explains what homebirth meant to her and why we must have the right to choose
This week marks Homebirth Awareness week. Homebirth Australia fears that this time next year Australian women will not have the option of homebirth.
NEWS RELEASE
Wednesday 20 January 2010
Contact: Justine Caines 0408210273
Let’s lock up the homebirthers. I must admit it has got a ring to it. Lets make the law retrospective and capture Bill Grainger and his wife Natalie, Noni Hazlehurst, Tracy Bartram, not to mention Cameron Daddo, Tropfest’s John Polson, John Butler, and even former Prime Minister Bob Hawke’s daughter, Sue. They could join the thousands more, amongst them doctors and lawyers who have chosen homebirth after considered research.
Today women will gather in protest outside the Springwood Sports Club challenging Minister for women, Tanya Plibersek to do her job and protect the rights of women and candidate Susan Templeman to work to ensure safe maternity care that meets the needs of local women.
“This is the first of many protests demonstrating to both major parties that there is a Mums Army out their angrily demanding their basic rights.” said Justine Caines Homebirth Australia spokesperson.
Homebirth Australia suggests the following statement:
Quality and safety is a central feature of this framework. The right of women to informed consent is acknowledged as is a health professionals right to provide clinical information and advice. Health professionals have a responsibility to provide balanced information and to be confident that information is understood. Women have a responsibility to demonstrate they understand this information and to articulate ongoing decisions.
Homebirth Australia understands that this document and the approach from Government will be risk adverse. This approach does not however need to come at a cost of removing established rights of women. It would be prudent to address the fact that a growing number of women with what most obstetricians would consider a 'risk factor' are choosing homebirth and will continue to do so. If this is understood and articulated there is a much better chance to develop understanding and appropriate clinical pathways for consultation and referral. By ignoring or shunning the women that make these choices we risk underground practice and birth without a skilled attendant. Homebirth Australia does not support women being put in this position and hopes that government will accept this approach as part of a risk adverse strategy.
In the case of rural and remote Australia it seems perverse logic to accept that current options are 'safe' for women (removal from their families and the risk of road side birth whilst travelling in labour) while the care of a registered midwife at home is seemingly less safe.
