Just for 2 seconds can we focus on the big breakthrough in womens maternity care

[~mamaspice~]

Firstly, I am by no means discounting the importance of the whole current homebirth issue, but for two seconds can I just say a big yahoo for the following breakthrough. This is especially good for those of us who previously didn't have access to continuity of care in the current hospital system and especially those of us considered "high risk" because we were even less likely to have access to this kind of model of care.....

As you may already have heard, Federal Health Minster Nicola Roxon has introduced three bills to Parliament to implement the Government's maternity reform agenda. These are the biggest changes we?ve seen in maternity care in Australia?s history and are a huge breakthrough for women. It means that from November 2010, women will be able to hire a midwife in private practice, receive their antenatal care from that midwife in a community setting or at home, birth with that midwife in a hospital and receive six weeks postnatal care from that midwife. Women will be able to claim Medicare rebates for this care. It may mean that many women who haven?t previously been able to access continuity of care with a known midwife, including women living rurally and women wanting to have a VBAC in hospital, will be able to do so.

[Rommy'sMummy]

Mara thats fantastic! Where did you get the quote from? Sounds like a media release. I would love to get the reference and send it to my sister.

thanks,

Rachel

[Oorki Galoorki]

yet a women and midwife will still be under hospital policy. so women who choose hb because of the fight for vbac is to hard in hospital is still disadvantaged.

i have a feeling you dont GET why we are fighting for the right to hb..as well as fighting for mwives wh o dont want to be tied to a hospital

How is it a break through when you are taking a chioce away from women?

[~mamaspice~]

DOUDOU,
I do understand the HB issue here. It's a very important one and one that I hope is resolved, either by the Govt. allowing midwives to attend homebirth without PI cover, or by helping to make PI cover for independant midwives available. It is certainly the sour grape of the whole maternity reform. And your points are very valid

BUTTT. . .
I am not focusing on just the birth aspect here. What about antenatal and postnatal care???? These are such important factors of having a baby too.
What I am focusing on here is nothing to do with homebirth, and nothing to do with just birth.

It's about women who want a hospital birth but who also want continuity of care. Especially continuity of care through the ante-natal and post-natal period.

Many of us Do not currently have this option in the public system. Especially not women in remote locations or women who are classed as high risk as we are currently not eligible to be looked after by most MGP's or birthcentres etc.

Rommy's mummy, I got that quote from an email I received from BirthtalkTM to which I subscribe. (and who BTW are also concerned by the homebirth issue)You can also find some info on the maternity coalition website (an organisation to which I also support and have a paid subscription)

[~Saram~]

I agree that is a great step forward for maternity care - woohoo!!! It has certainly been a very big gap in the public systema nd it great to see it being addressed.

I don't think it distracts from the homebirth issue. It is still important for us to stand up for the choice to homebirth but it is also great to celebrate an advancement for woman who want a hospital birth and with a greater amount of support in their birth might lead to a better birthing experience for more woman in hospital!

[Rouge]

I think we should allow Mara to be happy about this. So whilst the HB issue is a big one, lets not go off topic with this thread.

[~mamaspice~]

I don't think it distracts from the homebirth issue. It is still important for us to stand up for the choice to homebirth but it is also great to celebrate an advancement for woman who want a hospital birth and with a greater amount of support in their birth might lead to a better birthing experience for more woman in hospital!

:yeahthat: I completely agree Saram. It doesn't distract from the homebirth issue and that was not my intention. But in reality it IS going to give so many women the potential for a better hospital birth experience all round Not to mention a better ante-natal and post-natal experience for many women too.