Australian Homebirthers On The Street Again

This morning hundreds of people gathered across Australia to protest (yet again) the government's move to legislate independent midwifery out of existence. In Brisbane over 400 protesters met out the front of the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd's office. Hundreds of people protested in Sydney and Perth as well. I joined approximately 350 protesters out the front of Deputy Prime Minister, Julia Gillard's Melbourne Office:

In contrast to the dreary weather we endured for The Mother of All Rallies in the nation's capital, today we protested in hats and sunscreen, under a blazing sun. Melbourne's rally was facilitated by Homebirth Australia and Maternity Coalition. Melissa McFarlane of Maternity Coalition (Victoria Branch) was MC. A group of committed protesters travelled all the way from Geelong to Werribee on public transport to be present for the rally and one homebirth midwife, Kim Cooper, travelled all the way from Bairnsdale.

During the speeches Ann Catchlove (President of Maternity Coalition Victoria) shared during her time as Shado Minister for Health in 2005, Julia Gillard publicly stated:

"I believe that midwives are key health care professionals whose role in the care of women and their babies has yet to be fully realised in the Australian health care system. We need to realise that potential so that mothers have real choice in their birthing experience, and their babies have the best start in life."

Yet Gillard's Party coming to power has not given mothers choice, rather it has stripped them of this right. Catchlove went on to say:

"When my daughter Isabelle grows up I would like to be able to tell her with pride that 2007 was the year that Australia’s first female deputy Prime Minister was elected and that this marked a new era for Australian women having real political power. Instead it looks like I will have to tell her that 2007 marked the beginning of the end of midwife-attended home birth in Australia and that under Ms Gillard’s deputy leadership women’s rights took a huge step backwards."

Midwife Nicola Dutton read the following statement from Hannah Dahlen (Vice President of Maternity Coalition and Associate Professor of Midwifery):

"The Australian College of Midwives considers the proposal to force midwives to have collaborative arrangements with medical practitioners in order access Medicare is totally unacceptable. Midwives can be trusted to collaborate with all health professionals as required and as requested by women as they do currently. Tying midwives to collaborative arrangements with individual doctors will be unworkable and make care less flexible and less safe, as well as restrict choice for women. Tying midwives up in red tape in order to placate the medical profession is not the way to meet the needs of women in Australia."

Julie Bell (doula and human rights activist) read a statement from Joyous Birth (which can be read in full here on Janet Fraser's blog). Julie was joined by her husband and three home born daughters at the rally:

McFarlane read a letter of support from Dr Richard Di Natale, a Greens candidate for the Senate, after which a homebirth Dad read a poem he wrote to Nicola Roxon, expressing his anger and sadness at what women, babies, midwives and men stand to lose with these changes.

Protesters also enjoyed an a' capella performance by Kimba Griffith (homebirther, jazz singer and documentary film maker) of a song she and her husband wrote together in protest to the government's proposals. Beverley Walker, a retired midwife of over 35 year of experience also spoke. Walker who is working towards a Senate inquiry into the supposed safety of obstetric care in Australia encouraged everyone present to keep up the fight as this is the greatest threat she has seen to midwifery in over forty years.

Then the crowd took a march around the block singing "Song to Nicola Roxon", the signature song of the present homebirth protest movement in Australia.

While the media in Brisbane and Perth published news articles about the protests in those cities, no such article has been published about Melbourne's rally as yet. However, McFarlane is set to appear on ABC 774 radio tomorrow morning at 11am.

We may be tired and we may be a little sun-kissed, but more than anything we are determined, McFarlane's farewell to the protesters at the close of the rally was "See you next time and there will be a next time!".

Maternity Coalition explains the legislative changes (click to enlarge):

For More...
Not Happy Julia!
Greens Rally in Support of Midwives
Australian Private Midwives Association Press Release
Midwives in Private Practice Calling Card to Julia Gillard
Doctors to be in charge of midwives, homebirthing and of course women
Protesters demand Rudd dump birth amendment
Mums protest against maternity law changes at Kevin Rudd's office
Rally at Werribee
Amendments hands control over women's choice to doctors
Hundreds protest homebirth reforms
Women oppose maternity system reforms
Curbed Midwives Push to Break Free

***Special thanks to Melissa McFarlane for assisting me in creating this post by providing me with copies of speeches and other relevant information & Jen Pereyra for sharing her photographs***