My homestate of Victoria has launched a pilot project in three hospitals that will allow for women to choose home-births. According to this article, the state government has allocated AU$400,000 to cover the project:
Health Minister Daniel Andrews said yesterday that the State Government had allocated $400,000 for midwife-led home births through Casey Hospital in Berwick and Sunshine Hospital in Melbourne’s west. A regional health service will also participate, but the Government has yet to decide which one.
Mr Andrews said midwives employed in the one-year projects would be covered by their hospital’s insurance, and that women participating would have a midwife care for them throughout their pregnancy, with several back-up midwives available if their primary carer was sick or unavailable when they went into labour.
Antenatal care would also be provided by the hospitals so they could keep track of the mothers’ medical history.
The announcement is a boon for women in favour of home births, who up until now have had to pay between $1800 and $6000 for their own private midwives without organised access to hospitals if something went wrong.
The project is only offered for one year, but one could imagine that if it works, it could get continued funding. It sounds like a win-win for me – midwives are covered by hospitals’ insurance, expecting mothers have access to a variety of services and seamless care offered for the antenatal period.
I have to say that I didn’t consider home-birth for either of my girls, but I did have the services of midwives with both pregnancies; under the UK system, midwives are the default service providers in normal, healthy pregnancies, and in the Australian system, when you go to the labor ward, midwives assess and monitor labor and then assist the obstetrician (if you’re using one) in the delivery and provide care in the hospital after birth. I have nothing but praise for the midwives I saw at my hospital.
What do you think of this delivery? Does anyone know of similar projects where you live?
that sounds like a great idea
I had two midwife-assisted hospital births and would love to see midwifery care become more accessible, as well as home birth for low-risk women who want that experience.
I wasn’t interested in home birth, but I do think it’s a reproductive rights issue. Some American states outlaw home birth, which is outrageous. Other states (like Iowa) make it difficult for women to choose that option because direct-entry midwives are not licensed, and neither private health insurance nor Medicaid covers home birth.
that sounds like a great idea
I had two midwife-assisted hospital births and would love to see midwifery care become more accessible, as well as home birth for low-risk women who want that experience.
I wasn’t interested in home birth, but I do think it’s a reproductive rights issue. Some American states outlaw home birth, which is outrageous. Other states (like Iowa) make it difficult for women to choose that option because direct-entry midwives are not licensed, and neither private health insurance nor Medicaid covers home birth.
The problem with home births
The drugs are so inadequate.
“Childbirth – what a time to give up drugs.” – Lily Tomlin
Honestly, the argument can,
and has, been made that if women were allowed to deliver in the way they were meant to, few would require drugs. Almost every practice done to a laboring woman in a hospital almost assures that a woman will opt for them.
I had seven totally unmedicated births. The last one at home. The last one was the most painful, but you know, I just kept thinking how much worse I would have felt in the hospital. That said, I was fortunate in making my choices with the other deliveries, by and large. In all accept the first, I was able to labor and deliver exactly as I would have at home.
The problem with home births
The drugs are so inadequate.
“Childbirth – what a time to give up drugs.” – Lily Tomlin
Honestly, the argument can,
and has, been made that if women were allowed to deliver in the way they were meant to, few would require drugs. Almost every practice done to a laboring woman in a hospital almost assures that a woman will opt for them.
I had seven totally unmedicated births. The last one at home. The last one was the most painful, but you know, I just kept thinking how much worse I would have felt in the hospital. That said, I was fortunate in making my choices with the other deliveries, by and large. In all accept the first, I was able to labor and deliver exactly as I would have at home.
Having had both hospital and home births,
I can say that without a doubt, you’d have to drag me kicking and screaming to get me to go to a hospital to birth, unless my life or the baby’s was in danger.
Good for Victoria for moving toward giving women a choice!
Having had both hospital and home births,
I can say that without a doubt, you’d have to drag me kicking and screaming to get me to go to a hospital to birth, unless my life or the baby’s was in danger.
Good for Victoria for moving toward giving women a choice!
Two homebirths with midwives here
and I’m hoping for a third in the next week or two, so Im always glad to hear that more people might have the same opportunity if they choose.
When my first was born, my mother was there, and she walked away from the whole experience saying that if she had known you could give birth like that, she wouldn’t have gone to the hospital either, and she was very helpful this time around in explaining what homebirth was like to my SO’s parents. My children’s great grandmother was the mother of 10, 9 of whom were born at home. The last one was a hospital birth, and she was completely unimpressed with the experience (of course, all of these people had children in the 1950s and 60s.)
That said, people need to make decisions that they are comfortable with. Whether you choose the hospital or home, I think the support of midwives is great for uncomplicated births, and hospital birth practices have certainly improved over the past several decades.
I had six of my children in hospitals.
I spent A LOT of time and energy finding doctors and hospitals that would allow me to deliver in the way I would at home. I managed to do so, but it took some effort. I generally stayed at home until I was getting very close to delivery, therefore, I was never in the hospital for more than an hour to an hour and a half before I delivered. No drugs. No interventions. I moved around and did what I wanted to do until I was ready to push the baby out in whatever way I so chose. My mother made the same observation…she never realized that birth could be so easy. Helped her to re-think the whole process as well.
Two homebirths with midwives here
and I’m hoping for a third in the next week or two, so Im always glad to hear that more people might have the same opportunity if they choose.
When my first was born, my mother was there, and she walked away from the whole experience saying that if she had known you could give birth like that, she wouldn’t have gone to the hospital either, and she was very helpful this time around in explaining what homebirth was like to my SO’s parents. My children’s great grandmother was the mother of 10, 9 of whom were born at home. The last one was a hospital birth, and she was completely unimpressed with the experience (of course, all of these people had children in the 1950s and 60s.)
That said, people need to make decisions that they are comfortable with. Whether you choose the hospital or home, I think the support of midwives is great for uncomplicated births, and hospital birth practices have certainly improved over the past several decades.
I had six of my children in hospitals.
I spent A LOT of time and energy finding doctors and hospitals that would allow me to deliver in the way I would at home. I managed to do so, but it took some effort. I generally stayed at home until I was getting very close to delivery, therefore, I was never in the hospital for more than an hour to an hour and a half before I delivered. No drugs. No interventions. I moved around and did what I wanted to do until I was ready to push the baby out in whatever way I so chose. My mother made the same observation…she never realized that birth could be so easy. Helped her to re-think the whole process as well.
I always said that bears do it right;
they hibernate through most of their pregnancy and through the most of birth.
But I am a strange minority opinion about the whole process. (wry grin)
I always said that bears do it right;
they hibernate through most of their pregnancy and through the most of birth.
But I am a strange minority opinion about the whole process. (wry grin)