In "Collaboration? Oh now I get it. They mean 'collaboration'" radical feminist birth activist Janet Fraser explores the true meaning behind the rhetoric Australian homebirthers have been fed regarding the new legislation:
"“Collaboration” as redefined by the weasel words brigade who write legislation and speeches actually means, “doctors telling midwives and women who’s allowed to birth at home and who’s allowed to be such a good girl she’s allowed to attend those women“.Yup, that’s “collaboration”. Or as the dictionary says:
World English Dictionary
collaboration (kəˌlæbəˈreɪʃən) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]—n (often foll by on, with, etc)
1. the act of working with another or others on a joint project
2. something created by working jointly with another or others
3. the act of cooperating as a traitor, esp with an enemy occupying one’s own countrycollaborationist
—n"
Independent midwife Lisa Barrett also explores the problem with so-called collaboration in "Medical Veto - We Own Your Birth". Lisa goes on to identify a key problem for contemporary homebirthing women in Australia and that is the case of the "spineless" midwife:
"I think almost all midwives are like this. All afraid to stand up and say it is not workable and we won’t stop supporting women. To each midwife who has paid $7,500 for useless insurance, I have no sympathy. If you sell out the women in your care your pocket deserves to be hit. I only wish a few more Obs would get into bother....
I think midwives and women should stand together and say “NO – this is not workable and we cannot comply, we will stand together to the end to protect normal birth.” However this won’t happen as too many people have a vested interest in the future of this legislation.
I am being chased so heavily in South Australia that it is sickening to think about the future. I doubt whether I will have a long term one in this climate. However I will not lie down and accept the medical veto and I will not go without a fight."
Midwives Victoria has written about independent candidates running in the federal election, motivated by their opposition to the current power-holders treatment of midwives in private practice and homebirthing families:
Gillard Government signs away women's rights
Who's the REAL health minister?
Independent's Preferences may determine Corangamite
On this, The Daily Telegraph published an article today about one homebirth advocate confronting Prime Minister Gillard publicly at breakfast:
"Her partner Tim Mathieson joined her at Melissa's coffee and cake shop, where midwife Robyn Thompson told the caretaker Prime Minister she would have won thousands more votes if she had listened to midwives over home births.
"Three to four thousand votes more would have gone to Julia if she'd listened to us," she told News Limited.
Ms Thompson, 66, from Altona, sat down with Ms Gillard and asked her to reconsider the move that allows midwives overseeing home births to be vetoed by doctors.
"I like her, and she said she'll work on it," she said."
It will be interesting to see if the outcome of the election will lead to some positive change for homebirthers and their midwives. While I hope this is the case, the past couple of years of Australian birth politics have taught me not to hold my breath.
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