Private Midwifery in Sydney Rotating Header Image

March 24th, 2009:

Homing in on their birthright

Mar 24th, 2009
by Melissa Maimann.
No comments yet

For further information, contact Melissa Maimann at Essential Birth Consulting.

Link to article

BY MARK BARBELIUK
24/03/2009

ADVOCATES of home births are calling on the Federal Government to reject a recommendation in its maternity service review that could see an end to babies being born outside hospitals and birthing centres from July next year.

Members of the Sutherland Shire Natural Birth Group said the proposed changes effectively took away a woman’s right to choose how and where she gave birth.

The controversial section of the review involves indemnity of midwives.

The group said the proposed changes meant midwives could not obtain registration to practice without insurance …

While the St George Hospital home birth service is covered by Medicare, the women describe it as inadequate, restrictive and unacceptable. [I have had several enquiries and bookings from women who have been disqualified from this program. Women are not cleared for home birth until they pass their 36-week GBS swab, along with all other compulsory tests. When you book a home birth with an independent midwife, you have more control. You do not have this right when you access a publicly-funded home birth program. Nor do you have any control over transfer to hospital].

Sally Dillon said the government-funded service had a strict screening process …

Amber Johnstone said in the three years the St George Hospital service had run, about 50 babies had been delivered and the “success” rate was 50 percent, meaning half the women who opted for home births ended up delivering their babies in hospital. [That's an appalling transfer rate. While a transfer rate is a good thing to have - it shows you practice safely - it should not be over 20%].

At present, private home births are not covered by Medicare and those who opt to deliver at home pay $4000-$5000, which includes pre and antenatal care. A standard vaginal in-hospital delivery starts at $5800.

Brian Nicholson said home births … “It binds a family,” he said. “I felt I was able to provide so much support and wasn’t shoved to the side like I would have been in a hospital.

“A lot of the home birth experience is about being comfortable in your head,” Ms Johnstone said.

“It’s a far better experience.”
…
“Women who birth at home are less likely to have interventions including assisted deliveries and caesarean sections.

Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting.

Emergency birth brings Destiny, Hope

Mar 24th, 2009
by Melissa Maimann.
No comments yet

For further information, contact Melissa Maimann at Essential Birth Consulting.

Link to article

SALISBURY — To look at Kitten Panthera and midwife Lauren Olson Sidford today, one would never know they shared a life or death struggle only six weeks ago.

It was on Jan. 27, when Panthera’s twin daughters made a month-early, impatient demand to be born, not in a hospital, not in a planned home birth, but in the tiny bathroom in the seaside cottage Panthera rents on Salisbury Beach. Destiny-Grace and Hope Panthera made their appearance with Sidford crouched beside Panthera in the bathroom and most of the day shift of the Salisbury Fire and Police departments in the small abutting kitchen waiting for an ambulance to arrive.

“It was a baptism by fire, absolutely” Sidford said recently. “I’d been a labor coach and birth assistant for about 20 years. But this is my first year as a midwife, and this was my first home birth on my own. Usually home births are attended by two and sometimes three midwives. Because I only expected to give Kitten a ride to the hospital for an ultrasound, I didn’t even have my midwifery bag with me. I had no medical equipment.” ….

With an ultrasound scheduled, Sidford found a third midwife willing to attend the home birth of twins, if the ultrasound showed the babies were fine and in a good position.

… Panthera, 38, has a strong spiritual belief and [is] “very much in tune with my body,” she said, and took the fear out of the childbirth for her.

“Women have been giving birth since the beginning of time,” Panthera said. “I know some people might think I was jumping out of a plane without a parachute, but God is my parachute. I knew in my gut everything was going to be fine and I didn’t need to worry.”
…
[Speaking about the birth]: “The second baby was breech,” Sidford said. “And not just a simple breech. One leg was down. It’s called a single footling breech. I’ll never forget it; it was the right leg.”

With no other equipment but a single plastic glove passed to her by a firefighter, Sidford reached back to her training, both women trusted each other and nature, and Destiny-Grace didn’t appear to know her life was in jeopardy. With the assistance of Sidford, two strong emergency workers supporting Panthera’s weight, she delivered a healthy second daughter.

“The babies were beautiful,” Sidford said. “They breathed and pinked up right away when they were born. They’re thriving now; eating well, gaining weight.” ….

It’s amazing how well nature works, when we let it! For the majority of women and babies, birth is a normal, natural, healthy event, not a medical emergency.

Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting.