The current state of Midwifery Services

Things are looking grim for homebirthing within Australia!

I would have loved a homebirth - Eva's birth would have been perfect 'homebirth material'. Easy pregnancy, very easy labour, home after 4 hours *sigh* what could have been hey? My choices were limited due to the public indemnity crisis and where I was living at the time had no homebirth Midwives. For me, at the time, the option just wasn't logistically possible, sure there were ways around it, had I at the time had a strong enough conviction about it I surely would have put more effort into making it happen. It wasn't until I had my twins and we decided that our baby making days were over that I thought "shit, I'm not going to get the chance to birth at home now, fuck, I really wish I had of done that".

Imagine this, you are a woman who has had a previous elective cesearean birth (no I'm not bagging you out - this is about birth choices), you wanted one, you saw a private obstetrician, you got one, it was a wonderful birth, perfectly timed, went to plan and you are thrilled! BRILLIANT, YOU got the birthing choice YOU wanted. Your birth was PERFECT!!

Now, imagine this, you are a woman who would like to have an elective cesearean as your planned method of birth. You shop all over town to be told 'sorry, current legislation prevents us from undertaking elective cesearean births!'. Can you imagine the outrage?

Apply this scenario to homebirthing and we're on the same page!