Interested in home birth, hospital birth or private midwifery care? Questions or comments? Email Melissa Maimann or call 0400 418 448.
MONA Vale Hospital’s new birthing unit will simply be a place for expectant mothers to have a home birth inside a hospital – but a long way from emergency care if a complication occurs – according to an obstetrician.
How anyone can consider a hospital birth to be the same as a homebirth is way beyond me! There is a very big difference between the comfort and familiarity of our homes, and a hospital environment.
Dr David Jollow, one of Mona Vale Hospital’s onsite obstetricians, said the new, midwife-run, Mona Vale birthing unit would mean women who suffer a complication during labour will have to be rushed to Manly Hospital instead of being treated by Mona Vale’s onsite obstetricians.
“The new unit is essentially a home birth that happens to be in a hospital,” Dr Jollow said.
“It would actually be safer to have a home birth in Balgowlah or Seaforth, because an ambulance ride to Manly would be quicker.”
It’s interesting that obstetricians oppose free-standing birth centres, yet we have the existence of midwife-run units where obstetricians are not available. Is ther a differnence? Is it merely a differing terminology to be acceptable to some?
Melissa Maimann, Essential Birth Consulting 0400 418 448