United We Homebirthers Stand, Divided We Fall

***Update 1/7/09. Since this post was written Home Birth Australia have removed the press release in question and replaced it with the following, far more inclusive press release:

Health Minister Denies Women their basic rights

NEWS RELEASE
Wednesday June 24 2009

Contact: Justine Caines 0408 210 273



Homebirth Australia today slammed the exclusion of homebirth from insurance schemes for midwives announced by the Health Minister Nicola Roxon in parliament today.

“Effectively two pieces of legislation will outlaw midwives providing homebirth care from July 2010” said Justine Caines, mother of seven and secretary of Homebirth Australia.

“Women will continue to homebirth, but will now be forced to do so without the assistance of a qualified professional.” said Ms Caines.

“It is unacceptable and unsafe to force a woman into a choice that is not optimal for her, whether that is a hospital birth or a birth at home without midwifery support. It is absolutely impossible to understand the government’s position on this, other than to say that they have bowed to political pressure from medical lobby groups.”

The National Maternity Service Review received submissions from hundreds of women wanting access to homebirth services. The vast majority of homebirth services are provided by private practice midwives. Removing this option is likely to end access for most women to homebirth.

Ms Caines called on all ALP members to declare their view on a woman’s right to self determination of her health care needs. “If the ALP is so hell bent on preventing women from accessing homebirth as an option I ask all ALP members to publically state their position on this.

It appears that having a Health Minister who is a woman, a recent mother, and a lawyer understanding consumers’ rights, is not proving to be an advantage for women. Removing women’s rights to the point where we are back providing care in dark alleys or in back rooms is ridiculous in 2009.”

Thank-you Home Birth Australia for listening to the concerns of your sisters. It is comforting to know that at least homebirthers are listening to each other. ***

Original post from 25/6/09:

Yesterday Homebirth Australia issued the following press release:

"Deaths will increase with new announcements

NEWS RELEASE
Wednesday June 24 2009


Homebirth Australia today slammed the exclusion of homebirth from insurance schemes for midwives announced by the Health Minister Nicola Roxon in parliament today.

“Effectively two pieces of legislation will outlaw midwives providing homebirth care from July 2010” said Justine Caines, mother of seven and secretary of Homebirth Australia.



“Women will continue to homebirth, but will now do so without the assistance of a qualified professional.” said Ms Caines. “The result will be an increase in deaths for mothers and babies, this is certain. It is absolutely impossible to understand the government’s position on this, other than to say that they have bowed to political pressure from medical lobby groups.”

The National Maternity Service Review received submissions from hundreds of women wanting access to homebirth services. The vast majority of homebirth services are provided by private practice midwives. Removing this option is likely to end access for most women to homebirth.

Ms Caines called on all ALP members to declare their view on a woman’s right to self determination of her health care needs. “If the ALP is so hell bent on preventing women from accessing homebirth as an option I ask all ALP members to publically state their position on this. It appears that having a Health Minister who is a woman, a recent mother, and a lawyer understanding consumers’ rights, as a health minister is not proving to be an advantage for women. Removing women’s rights to the point where we are back providing care in dark alleys or in back rooms is ridiculous in 2009.”

I was disappointed with the tactics used in this press release to further the cause of saving private midwifery. In particular I was unimpressed with how the release claims that birth is inherently dangerous unless a care-provider is present and the marginalisation of freebirthers within Homebirth Australia (they may be freebirthers but they're homebirthers too!). A dear friend of mine, a fellow birth activist and homebirther, Jessica Pritchard wrote a response to this press release which outlines my concerns more clearly and succinctly than I could. She has given me permission to share her response here:

"It is disturbing to witness the slander of birth that is in the media at the moment. I really believe to label the "freebirth or purebirth movement" as dangerous is irresponsible and just another way of disempowering and dividing an already small community.

While I understand the sentiment behind the claims - unassisted birth should not be the only choice beside hospital birth - this is very different to actually naming the freebirth movement. There are many women who are choosing to birth on their own, or with non-medical assistance for very different reasons - the least of which is money or political. These women will continue to birth this way whether or not these recommendations become law. For you to say that women and babies will die as a result just solidifies the uninformed notion that birth is innately dangerous. It saddens me that as a homebirth advocate you would have so little regard for the process of birth and of women.

If you don't trust birth (or the women who birth) you have no business being it that space.

Divide and conquer - its what 'they' want. Please don't continue to alienate some of the very few allies you have with propaganda and slander. By doing that you are guilty of what Obstetricians do to you - label and shame.

UNITED WE STAND - a homebirth is a homebirth no matter who you have there."

We understand that women being left with a "choice" between homebirthing unassisted or hospital birth could lead to women "choosing" freebirth who aren't really prepared or ready for the responsibility that brings and this could lead to dangerous outcomes. But, as Jess said in her letter, alienating some of their allies does not serve the greater good, it divides an already small community of women (for more on that see my early post "Divide and Concquer Pitting Homebirthers Against Freebirthers")