For further information, contact Melissa Maimann at Essential Birth Consulting.
HOMEBIRTHS will become illegal under tough new laws that prevent women using midwives to have children outside hospitals.
The move is set to drive homebirths underground, with expectant mothers and their babies at risk.
There are fears women determined to have a homebirth will “go it alone” like birthing advocate Janet Fraser, whose baby died during a natural water birth in April …
Under the draft Health Practitioner Regulation National Law, released last week, a midwife cannot be registered unless she has insurance.
But with insurance companies and the Government so far refusing to include homebirths in the indemnity scheme, midwives will face being de-registered if they attend a homebirth.
… Australian College of Midwives boss Dr Barbara Vernon said the Government’s intention was obvious.
“I had been optimistic until now when you can see it in black and white,” she said.
“Even though only less than half a per cent of women have homebirths, they should have the same rights as a woman who chooses to have a caesarean. Homebirths won’t stop.”
About 150 midwives do homebirths in Australia. Called independent or private midwives, most do not work in a hospital and are uninsured.
But from July 2010, they will no longer be able to call themselves midwives even though they are trained. Only those insured and registered can use the term midwife, otherwise they face a $30,000 fine.
There are about 700 homebirths a year but some say this may be as high as 2100 as they are under-reported.
For TV presenter and marriage celebrant Elizabeth Trevan, giving birth to her 18-month old twins Nash and Harvey at home was an “overwhelming experience.”
… Home Births Australia secretary Justine Caines said the new law took away the rights of women.
“It technically makes homebirthing illegal,” she said.
The Royal Australasian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is against homebirths.
I have been informed that insurance will be provided for provate midwives who birth their clients in hospital. Homebirth will not be insured, however if the midwife also works in a hospital, she will be able to obtain insurance and thus register.
Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting 0400 418 448
I have put down some of my thoughts on this issue at my blog http://villagemidwife.blogspot.com/, and at the MiPP blog http://midwivesvictoria.blogspot.com/
Joy
http://www.homebirth.net.au
Melissa it doesn’t matter what you have been told. Read the bill. If you work at the hospital and register then you can’t provide a homebirth service without being reported to the Board.
What independent midwife would want to birth a woman at the hospital unless there were complications? You may as well work in a group practice situation, days off holidays and no responsibility.
Hi Joy and Lisa, it does seem that it will be illegal to have a homebirth with an independent midwife. In the original things I was reading, it said that insurance was a requirement for registration and everythng we did had to be insured. I was told by reliable sources that this was incorrect and that you could get insurance for AN and PN care and not have the actual homebirth covered, and therefore register. It seems what I read originally was right.
So – anyone up for a career change???
I have also had lots of optimistic information from “reliable sources”. Looks like we’ve all been led up the garden path!