"A real difference to expectant mums..."

For anyone who hasn't been following the news on the home birthing furor, after everything we were basically ignored and the government went ahead with it's blatantly-in-the-face-of-evidence-based-practice and in defiance of human rights, women's rights, WHO recommendations and just plain common sense to do what it (and the AMA cronies) wanted. It's always refreshing to know the government listens to it's constituents so well and acts in our best interests.

Today our Health Minister Nicola Roxon was quoted in the AAP as being optimistic about the future of home birthing. The headline raised an eyebrow (it disappeared somewhere well above my hairline) before my jaded inner cynic reasserted itself. She has more than proven she is against home birth, evidence and reason time and again and several of her stunts have left me with little faith that anything she says which may appear positive is nothing more to cover up the reality of ignoring the people she is supposed to be advocating for while using a bit of lip service (or more accurately lip gloss...) to appear sympathetic in the press.

The article goes on to say that the federal governments decision to support professional indemnity insurance for private practice midwives could help those offering home birth services down the track. They will do this by subsiding insurance for private midwives. "This will make a real difference to expectant mums, who can now elect to see a private midwife who will have government-subsidised insurance and, from November 1, have the cost of those services covered by Medicare," Health Minister Nicola Roxon said. If that sounds too good to be true your bullshit detection abilities are in fine working order.

The government subsidy does cover midwives in private practice. Just NOT if they're attending home births. As their are NO hospitals which extend visiting access to private midwives that sure is interesting way to 'make a real difference to expectant mums'!

Ms Roxon said the move is a significant step forward. What Ms. Roxon forgot to mention was that it was -one- step forward taken AFTER she'd waltzed a thousand back tromping all over human and women's rights, individual choice, the ability to determine what medical care, care models and treatments one deems fit for oneself and ones children, ones ability to self determine etc. etc. on the way!

The only other insurance option for private practice midwives it appears is one which does NOT COVER BIRTH. Obviously dreadfully useful then...

This whole thing just breaks my heart. It is a tragedy for the midwives who are loosing their passion and livelihood.

It's a tragedy for home birthing mothers who are having their rights to their bodies interfered with.

It is a tragedy for the babies and families who should be born in peace, in the places and mode of care their choice.

It is a tragedy for the generations whose only associations of birth will be the kind typical of a hospital system - managed, medicated, intervened, disembodied, painful, harassed - something to be endured and survived instead of rejoiced over.

It is a tragedy for those who have neither any idea nor interest in it because their rights are being stolen as well.

And it is an utter tragedy that it's done with political spins, manipulations, big business arse kissing and blatant bullshitting to slip the lies past the masses with a few smooth words and sound bytes under the guise of "helping" advance women's rights and choices.

birth, kinder, dogs and stuff

I need to blog about the recent decisions the government has made in terms of trouncing our rights to choose independent midwifery, not have our choices as mothers and human beings over our uterus, our vaginas, our bodies and our babies removed if a doctor doesn't fancy agreeing with us and our midwives but it's all just too depressing. Krudd and Nicola Roxon suck. Lots. AMA sucks hairy monkey balls. ALP can kiss my shining white arse. It's not articulate, eloquent or stunningly spoken as some of the speeches at the 15 rallies around the nation were today (despite Krudd chickening out and avoiding everyone) but it is a very genuine sentiment none the less. If you haven't already, contact your local MP and tell them how outraged you are that these laws are being pushed through. Make a point that you will NOT vote for politicians who disregard our human rights to self determination. Senate votes NEXT TUESDAY on FEB 23!

On a happier note we had the first parent-teacher conference since La has started kinder and today was our meeting. It went pretty well and wasn't too surprising. The break-down:

• he's very, VERY smart - she reckons he'll move to Cycle 2 inside of 2 years
  
• he's exceedingly good at manipulating tools and stuff like scissors, staplers, hole punches, sticky tape etc (as if the stack of projects he brings home from kinder to join the stacks he's done here don't attest to that! LOL)
  
• he's loves learning how things work (don't I know it, the kid has pulled apart multiple remotes to wires and chips, disassembled the laundry dryer door to component parts and taken apart the DVD player to look at it's guts...)
  
• he adores the guinea pigs (or "any pigs" in La-ese) and she'd suspected he must have been taught about handling animals
  
• he yacks incessantly about all the animals here... no doubt whose kid he is hey?
  
• he loves being able to ring the class bell and is working very hard for the privilege
  
• he climbs like a monkey (they've found him perched at the top of a cupboard to get the aforementioned bell and has scaled the schools sport goal net to get up over the boundary fencing... it's been moved 3m away from the fence now) and is not at all affected by splatting himself. This is of course no shock given I've watched him climb and launch himself from the top of the chook pens, a couple meters up a tree, the top of the woodshed after shimmying up a gutter etc.
• he can be very polite and considerate.... and he can be defiant when he can't do something
  
• while he can be very focused, he's not always good about putting everything away and cleaning up when he's done before he gets something else and he can be disruptive to the other students as he'll go up and insert himself into their tasks willingly or otherwise
  

Hm. What else have we been up to? We did the Melbourne Pet Expo last Saturday with Sierra as one of the breeds demo dogs and had a nice time, albeit we got some typically amusing comments. I had one young lady look at Si's blue eyes and wail in distress, "Oh that poor dog, she's BLIND!" Um. No. She just has blue eyes. The amazing thing is the young lady had blue eyes as well! LOL

In other news, my adult foster cat who'd gone into the adoption program is back as she got ill poor dear. I think she's used up all 9 of her lives now! My foster kittens are getting big, won't be long before they're ready to spay/neuter, microchip and go to new homes. Cinnamon's spay is coming up as well, which is a bit anxiety inducing but a bit exciting as once she's healed we can adopt a friend for her!

I've put my name back down for agility training on the waiting list, so fingers crossed it won't take 2 years to get in this time! Obedience training was back as of the start of Feb but I didn't make the first class due to chest infection. (Joy!) Very much enjoying training again! Si has come up nice and trim, so she'll be in good shape... I on the other hand am a bit slower in the regaining my (non-round) shape!

I've also pretty much made up my mind that when the kids are a bit older and all in school I will look at going back to school to become a vet tech, maybe also looking into taking courses as a trainer as well. I like the trainer idea more but the vet tech is likely to be a bit more steady in terms of income. Laurent heard this and asked the all important question: but mum, will your school have sticky tape? "Um. No La, probably not." "Oh. You should come to my school then," he says with a slightly smug voice, "WE have sticky tape!" Priorities right?

Gratuitous pictures:

enate Community Affairs Committee Inquiry into Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme Bill 2009.

To: The Secretary
Senate Community Affairs Legislation Committee
community.affairs.sen@aph.gov.au
fax (02) 6277 5829.
CC: campaign@maternitycoalition.org.au

Amanda Orbitani
680 Gembrook Road
Pakenham Upper, Victoria 3810
03-5942-7993
cabrissi@esc.net.au

Dear Senate Community Affairs Committee,
Re: Senate Community Affairs Committee Inquiry into Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme Bill 2009

I write to express my concern about regarding the legislation which will force independent midwives to have “collaborative arrangements” with doctors before they are able to register and be eligible for Medicare and insurance support.. I understand that these bills will enable Medicare funding, access to the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and professional indemnity premium support for midwives providing care for women to give birth in hospital..

I birthed my first child in a public hospital and my second at home under the care of two registered independent midwives. The two experiences could not be more different and the effect each had on myself and my relationship with my new child likewise could not be more different in how they impacted the both of us. We are all aware that the first days after birth have a tremendous impact upon the maternal bonding, success in breastfeeding rates, influence post partum depression rates and in many ways set the tone of the relationship for months and years to come. Ask any woman who has had a child - it's birth is something she will never forget and is impacted by for better or worse for the rest of her life. Should this legislation go through as it is written now, I am not sure what we will do. I have no wish to free birth. Neither do I wish to enter into the hospital system when I have no need to. Should a risk present itself and make it advisable to birth in hospital, I still want MY midwife - the caregiver I have chosen, who knows me and my family, whose care philosophy matches my own, who has extensive and specialist experience with natural births which hospitals cannot match and who has supported us through the pregnancy and birth of my daughter - to attend me.

The birth of my son was surrounded by orders, fear, bullying, threats to 'motivate' me that I would be cut against my will in a non-medically necessary, non-emergent situation and in direct contradiction of my written and express consent. Then once my son was born and I had no more use than a discarded wrapper after the candy had been extracted I was forced to throw myself into a wheelchair because they needed the L&D ward immediately despite being in shock and blacking out repeatedly, threatened with being allowed to "fall on the floor and crack (my) skull if I didn't stop" because she (the nurse) "was not going to throw her back out trying to catch me", slapped in the face with water repeatedly as I was still blacking out in the shower before I was finally left in a hospital bed, exhausted, upset, drugged and separated from my husband, family and friends. This was my sons introduction to the world. Sadly it is not unique or in light of many other womens experience, even necessarily a 'horrible' hospital experience.

My daughter was born at home, with the care of two midwives who attended me throughout my pregnancy. They were available to me at any time of the day or night I wanted to e-mail or ring. Throughout the pregnancy we determined what tests and care was necessary and I saw my GP and the OB for the hospital we had booked in case there was a need to change plans from a home setting to a hospital setting at any point in the pregnancy or labor. We saw that results from the sonography were copied to the midwives, my GP and OB. Likewise all other test results were coordinated so that all sets of caregivers were provided with the information and notations for their records, copies of all tests and results etc. My GP was willing to work with my choice, although it was outside his realm of experience and he was not certain how it would work. This required me to coordinate a bit and inform him of how homebirths with independent midwives usually worked. Our OB has had experience in working with independent midwifes, as he is one of few hospitals around here who will accept a booking from women who are planning a homebirth. Many hospitals are resistant to such bookings and do not want to know women who have a need to transfer their plans to a hospital because something has arisen in late pregnancy or in labor. The fact that this was the case meant that the nearest hospital I could book into was a 45 minute ambulance drive away as more local ones would not accept this sort of arrangement.

I had breakfast and danced through my early labor. I moved around my home, supported by my husband and son. When the contractions became more intense my midwives supported me gently while letting me maintain my space and focus. It was beautiful, joyous, respectful, powerful experience. My midwives whispered, "you're doing beautifully... I can see her head". It was a mere 3 hours labor and 4 minutes pushing before my daughter slid out into my hands and was in my arms. She looked at me and we gently cleaned her off and wrapped her. We walked to the couch to sit and have lunch, to chat and celebrate. I was nested in a pile of blankets by my roaring fire and cared for. It was easy, fantastic and amazing. The labor hormones left me feeling high on life for months. Not five minutes after she was born I told my midwives I couldn't wait until I could do it all over again - I loved my labor! That is something few people can say about their births. Nearly a year later I am still reaping the benefits of a natural, easy labor attended by midwives who supported me rather than harassed me. This was my daughters introduction to the world.

When I contemplate my third child, I cannot imagine choosing it's introduction into the world being a repeat of my first experience rather than my second. The amendments proposed however, will see that I nor any other Australian woman will have that choice. Our rights to choose care for ourselves and on behalf of our children will be stripped. Independent midwives will likewise be stripped of autonomy as their right to practice will be held ransom by doctors or OBs who have a long history and financial incentive not to support these midwives, along with the well known position of the AMA and RANZCOG against such rather than remaining responsible and accountable to independent registration and licensing body for their profession. These amendments will effectively put doctors rather than the women they serve in charge of maternity care in Australia with no other choice left to Australian women but to cow toe.

I respectfully submit that it is considered a basic and fundamental human right to determine what medical care we will receive, how and with whom. This is no less true for birthing women making choices within maternity care than any other group. Please respect our rights by eliminating these amendments and not implementing these unscrupulous limitations.

Yours sincerely
Amanda Orbitani

Rally, Lily, Hoopie, Veri, Spinning and other Stuff

I keep meaning to sit and write and I have no focus at the moment and even less quiet time to organize my thoughts.

This week has been a full one... on Monday I had hoped to be in Canberra, at the Mother of All Rallies, protesting with thousands of other women, children and their families for the right to choice and equal treatment in birthing options. Unfortunately between vet bills and what we had to pay towards the repairs on the house from storm damage, my funds were down to a dribble. To boot my original lamb sitter and the place we were going to stay bottomed up as well. (Not their faults and I completely understand of course.) I was crushed not to be able to go though.

I was somewhat heartened to hear that it was well heard. There were around 3000 people, who traveled from all over the country. Just before the rally, a 2 year exemption period was announced which is encouraging even if it does rather smack of an appeasing sound byte instead of definitive action. It does rather seem to illustrate they've finally realized the tiger they've grabbed by the tail has teeth and is unwise to continue ignoring though. Some good round ups are at Ilithyia Inspired and Midwife Mutiny. I rather liked this segment of the second reading of the Health Legislation Amendment Bill, spoken by Ian Macfarlane also!

Instead I was at home, caring for La and Lily of course but also working on getting our house sorted, cleaned up, repaired etc. I actually kicked butt on my to-do list... never fails, whenever I'm upset I go on a cleaning-fest, I guess some sort of strange mental link with being able to gain order in some area if I can't tidy my emotions. All things being equal though I think some of the shock of Veri being gone has worn off and the finality is really starting to hit. The wobbles get the better of me several times a day and I'm finding myself absent minded and short of patience with having to have the repair people interrupting me a dozen times a day or people constantly nattering at me over the trivial and innane. Even stuff like a FB ap 'giving me a puppy' ap just days after annoys the crap out of me atm. Laurent is dearly not helping in this area either as he's been especially trying this week, though half of that is probably reacting to the upset he senses in me.

It wasn't all as doom and gloom though. In the tradition of counting ones blessings my beautiful Lilypillie turned 5 months old. Easy-going, full of smiles and giggles and quickly growing into a sunny little person this child is my bliss. Her warm little weight snuggled into my shoulder is heaven. She's teething up a storm which means she's a drooly little gummyshark. She desperately wants to figure out this mobility gig, she is rolling and scooting around on the floor and fascinated with shaking any toy that rattles or crinkles. She surprises a lot of people with how interactive she is, she wants to play and chat and pat your cheeks while squealing delightedly.

It's also was Hope's birthday, which we celebrated somewhat quietly though she got cake and pats a plenty, especially as her birthday fell on the Australian Shepherd Club of Victoria's meeting night, which happened to be at my house. The weather was too soggy to take her out to work on the sheep, so we did that the next morning and as her birthday 'gift' I am actually getting up off my slack post-partum bum and working her more often which she adores.

We also had the last lamb of the season born, a Corriedale x EL single ram lamb who is black and white with brown frosting courtesy of his EL heritage. That makes a total of 9 new lambs, 4 ram and 5 ewe lambs, 2 sets of twins and 5 singles, 5 pure Corriedale and 4 Corrie/EL, more moorit than black.

Last but not least I decided to brave attempting to go to a Spin/Knit-In in Lang Lang. Those of you who know La will appreciate my bravery in entering a room with 40+ women and their spinning wheels, not to mention knitting, felting, drop spindling, weaving, dyeing and machine knitting. We did survive however and got to meet grandridge from Ravelry, as well as winning a cross stitch in the raffle and after 2 years I have my very own spinning wheel! She's a little Tara upright and I loves her! (Still have to think of a name for her!) Apparently the owner had gone into a nursing home and her family was taking them to the tip (!) but were happy to donate them. The club decided to sell them very inexpensively to buy proper looms for some refuges living in the area who have no proper looms at the moment.

A response from my local MP, Tammy Lobato

I wrote to my local MP (Ms. Tammy Lobato member for Gembrook) regarding her position on the homebirth issue and recieved the rather pleasing response yesterday.

Her response is as follows:

Dear Mrs. Orbitani

I write to thank you for taking the time to write to me in relation to proposed maternity service changes.

I am most passionate about the right of women and their families to choose the option of home birth. I am also very supportive of giving expectant mothers choice in where and how they give birth and to be able to go through this life-changing experience in a manner of their own choice.

Independent midwives perform a vital role in caring for mothers and babies and I support their continued role in maternity services. I also believe they should be entitled to appropriate insurance for their services, as are all other health practitioners.

You have asked me to write to the Federal Minister for Health & Aging, the Hon. Nicola Roxon MP, on your behalf. I have in fact already written to her on behalf of a number of my constituents advocating for the right for women to have home births and to argue for the right of independent midwives to access insurance.

I would be pleased to provide you with a copy of her response when I receive it. I will also continue to monitor the issue closely and speak on behalf of mothers who want to home birth and the midwives who support them.

Yours sincerely,
Tammy Lobato MP, Member for Gembrook

3 year old Musings

My little man reaches over as we're cuddled up in bed this morning, looks speculatively at my stomach and pokes it.

"Mum?" he says, poking it again, "Your tummy is flat now. Lily came out."

Well... yes, Lily did come out but calling my tummy flat is a bit generous - two children have left their mark on what used to be a toned tummy. The frequent cups of sweet tea I indulge in during the winter have left their calling card as well...

He curls closer into me, snuggling into the covers and I enjoy the moment with my two little people warm and cozy, content to ignore the morning a little while longer. I'm a bit bewildered by the sudden fascination with my stomach though. He leans over and peers into my belly button intently.

"Mum, I can't see." He looks up to me, "Are you going to grow another baby like Lily in your tummy and hiccup her out when you're full?"

Hiccup her out... I can't help myself and laugh. He's certainly got an interesting idea of labor and birth!

Our "calling card" letter

Dear Ms Roxon

My name is Amanda Orbitani. I am a mother, a wife and an Australian-by-choice. I have two children, my first was born in a hospital, my second at home. The quality of care, the outcomes, my treatment and follow up could not have been more different. The birth of a child is a deep and profound experience, one we carry forever and which impacts upon the start of the relationship between not only mother and child but the family as a whole.

I am certain you are aware of the many reasons women feel strongly about homebirth, the importance of the right to choice not just as women’s rights but as a fundamental human right, the consequences of removing the ability to access quality medically trained professionals and that women will not cease to homebirth. I am certain you are aware of the many studies on it’s safety and benefits in terms of intervention rates and the unnecessary complications these can cause. I am certain you are aware of the midwives whose livelihood are at stake, who deserve the right to practice other medical professionals enjoy. I am certain you are aware of Australia's overburdened hospital systems, the importance of utilizing resources wisely and the financial benefits of not hospitalizing those who do not need to be hospitalized.

I am certain of these things because women like me have raised these points to you, as we will continue to because of the importance of what we bring before you. We are deeply grieved of the impact if the legislation goes through as it stands.

While I applaud the many positive outcomes that will come from this, I respectfully submit eliminating private practice midwives is the wrong choice for Australia. Please consider amending the legislation so that my future children can have the high quality start in life that my daughter had and my son deserved.

Thank you for your time and consideration,
Amanda Orbitani, Laurent and Lily

Anyone who couldn't make it today should still consider writing up something similar and posting, e-mailing or faxing it to her saying that while you were unable to attend in person you fully support the rally and urge her to consider amending. If you want to e-mail of fax it, Nicola.Roxon.MP@aph.gov.au or you can fax it to 02 6273 4146. By post it would be to Nicola Roxon, 1 Thomas Holmes St. Maribyrnong Vic 3032

Homebirth rally at Nicola Roxton's office today

Today was the rally protesting the legislation which will make hiring a private practice independent midwife to attend women at homebirths illegal if it passes as it stands. Around 300 people gathered outside of Nicola Roxton's office to protest as well as to leave calling cards with her. For anyone who doesn't know, Ms Roxton is the Health Minister. All in all it was a very positive gathering, with Family First senator Steve Fielding pledging support to the rights of women to homebirth. Apparently before the rally he had spoken with a group in one of their homes - how is that for government who cares! He was also set to have a meeting with Ms. Roxton after the rally, so hopefully that has further positive impact as well.

One of the awesome signs!

A few shots showing some of the crowd

And a bit more, including one of the cameramen (in red on the left) who was filming for television

The senator receiving a lot of applause for what he had to say.

Laurent wanted to get in on the action... including his biggest fakey "I realize a camera is pointed in my direction" cheeze wiz grin!

The box full of calling cards, being taken into Nicola Roxton's office

And being handed over


And these are a couple of shots of our primary midwife, Andrea, having a cuddle with miss Lily. ;-) A rather good advertisement for homebirth if ever I saw one!

Addendum

Just to clarify on my prior post - I am NOT among those who use the description of 'sheep' to describe women choosing hospital based births, inferring that women choosing a location or options different from my personal choices are somehow or something less, that women who choose hospitals or intervention deserve what they get akin to a rape victim who has worn a short skirt asking for it, that they deserve any less than a beautiful and respectful birth, that it's not possible to have a 'good' birth in a hospital or impossible unless you are just lucky.

I feel no one has the right or ability to determine or judge what is right for another person or how they ought to value, view, feel, interpret or experience all the myriad things that are weighed up in such a profoundly personal choice as where, how and who to birth with. That is precisely what I am decrying.

I am also not addressing where women are bullied, are acted upon against their wills or without their permission. I am speaking exclusively to the fact that women have the right to elect for procedures and options in hospital births even though they also carry risks, some of which are potentially severe, without their unborn child's rights being used to over-ride their right to choice. While it can be argued in some cases these can't be real choices because many are not made with full information, as all any of us can do is make the choices based on the information we have at that point in time, I am going with the word choice for lack of a better one.

I support the right to full, accurate and balanced information for women on their range of choices and the risks associated with each absolutely. There is an imbalance of it currently widely available and I would like to see that remedied. Likewise I support the right to be treated with inherent respect and dignity no matter what or where. I believe a shift in the hospital structure and policy to allow for better support for women and staff to have the resources, training and support to do so is desperately necessary.

This sum of my post is this:
If homebirth is not the huge risk that the uninformed often suppose and birthing in a hospital is not a guarantee for a safe birth - in some cases in spite of the hospital and in some cases because of it and besides location other options a woman has the right to choose on behalf of her unborn also carry risks and the nature of some of those the argument that a hospital is the only acceptable place to birth because it is the only safe or safest place to birth does not make sense.

Likewise every time a mother chooses a hospital or birthing center, chooses which pregnancy tests to accept or decline and chooses which management options she wants or does not want, she is also making choices on behalf of the baby which have risks associated with it. If the rights of the baby are not then an issue or suggested to trump the mothers right to choice for hospital based births, WHY are they an issue and argument against the right to choice when the location and choice in homebirth? If the woman choosing hospital has the right to choose for herself and on behalf of her unborn, the right must then logically extend to the other as well.

It also makes me wonder how many have thought through the consequences of what they suggest - that if we are going to argue the baby's rights as determined by some other party dictate the acceptable course of action then that must extend to all births not just homebirths. I'm not sure about anyone else but the idea of an arbitrary third party dictating what are acceptable risks for me, my body and my baby and being able to force procedures on me under the guise of "baby's rights" makes my blood run cold. It should be as it is - up to us as individuals to weigh the potential costs and benefits as relates to ourselves and our situations and determine which we as a mother-baby unit want, need, are comfortable with and feel necessary for us personally. While Nicola Roxton's decision is positive in a number of ways, it is despicable that it brings those benefits at the cost of removing the rights of women to choose independent midwifery (for homebirths or otherwise) and removing the rights of midwives to private practice.

What about the baby's rights?

"Homebirth is about to become illegal in July 2010, as private midwives do not have access to professional indemnity insurance and therefore will not be able to register on the new national register. Even if you don't believe in homebirth, this is an infringement of women's rights."

This statement elicited the response from one person of, "What about the baby's rights?"

It's a frequently heard point brought up whenever homebirth and women's rights to choice for the mode of care is brought up recently it seems. It always strikes me as such a curious question. What about the rights of the baby?

First, it supposes that homebirth is more risky to the life of mother and child than hospital birth. Evidence based, empirical, large scale, peer reviewed research flatly proves that incorrect. Further to that, countries across the world (and no, not third world 'backward' ones) where homebirth is a fully supported option contradict it through experience - infant mortality is LOWER in these countries.

If and when medical care is necessary, the midwife(s) are able to both treat (the same as a midwife would in attending a hospital birth) or advise and attend transfer to a facility where more advanced care is available. (As would be the case if something happened in a hospital based check-up or were in the L&D ward and saw something that warranted further investigation or had an emergency necessitating transfer to theater.) These are all things that are prearranged and in place well ahead of the EDD should a non-emergent transfer become advisable or an emergency crop up.

Second, it's curious the question never comes up in terms to what are the babies rights in regards to a woman choosing to go to a hospital to birth. Women have the right to have elective c-sections - a procedure which has multiple risks including higher incidence of neonatal death, persistent pulmonary hypertension etc. A recent large-scale 4 year US study of 12,000 neonatal deaths examining rates for babies born by Cesarean among low-risk women who chose for non medical reasons is 1.77 to 0.62 vaginal deaths.

Ignoring the big tickets like caesars - how about the other procedures women who choose hospitals choose for their babies - such as pain management (gas, pethidine, epidurals etc) all of which carry many risks for the neonate as well as risks for the mother. Rare, as are complications in homebirths one might argue, but risks still - ranging from increasing risk of infection, risk of respiratory distress, decreased success and duration in breastfeeding, including and up to the risk of death. The common 'generally harmless' epidurals have a relatively common side effect for example of cause the mothers BP to drop, which compromises the fetus oxygen supply through the placenta causing distress and further intervention. Failure of labor to progress, 4x the rate of requiring forceps, 2-3x more likely to have c-sections are only a few others. Look at the rate of unintervened births in hospitals or the average c-section rate either Australia wide or especially within the private hospitals. We fall woefully short of the World Health Organizations recommendations.

Even further up the chart of 'safe', 'normal' procedures in hospitals such things as routine vitamin K for their newborns or cord clamping before the cord has fully stopped pulsating carry risks. The vitamin K used is a synthetic variety and there are a number of risks linked to it. Halting the cord flow prematurely has got to be one of the least sensible things around and risks many issues including brain damage and more than doubles the risk of hematocrit levels remaining dangerously low for MONTHS. I might also mention Hep B vaccinations. Again, all these things are well documented in peer reviewed studies, papers and the major professional journals - but no one EVER brings up the issue of the babies rights vs the mothers choice when the mother chooses to have a hospital birth or chooses hospital procedures on behalf of herself and her child.

It astonishes me that there is a common perception that while those who choose hospital births and/or management/interventions go completely without questioning simply because it is the broader cultural norm in Australia while homebirth seems to assume the woman does so because they are ignorant of how risky it must be or else selfishly choose to risk their children because of their own personal preferences and suddenly all the rights of the baby come into question.

There is an awful lot of 'behind the scenes' stuff that goes into a homebirth to ensure safety of both mother and child that most people are simply not aware of when they make suppositions about safety of homebirths or what one entails. No one is more motivated to protect a baby than it's own mother.

Let me also be perfectly clear here: I am NOT anti-hospital. Where it is necessary and warranted it is absolutely a lifesaving miracle. Had I need of it, I would be there in a heartbeat. I am against the removal of our rights to choose, poor arguments and misinformation however. Likewise I am flatly against the lack of balanced and full information disclosed to the patients in the widely available 'mainstream' education programs/resources. It's impossible to make an informed decision when the information is withheld or skewed to suit any agenda instead of being allowed to speak for itself and be weighed individually on a case by case basis - even if it's withheld with good intentions or ostensibly good reasons. (IE "Don't want to confuse them with too many choices/information they don't wouldn't understand/don't need to know..." type stuff)

It also occurs to me that safety of the baby isn't the only important thing. No one is suggesting it's not important or suggesting risking baby for the sake of mother but it doesn't bear up that any outcome is acceptable so long as the baby comes out healthy either. Maternal physical and mental well-being are very valid issues. Neither is it an exclusive issue - maternal experience certainly impacts on the child, it's likelihood to thrive and their relationship potentially for years to come.

So... what about the rights of the baby?