Ban on homebirth?

[MrsBexie]

I was talking to my sister in law the other day about the possibility that I would consider a homebirth for our next child depending on where we were posted and the hospital there.
She's totally not for homebirths and told me the government have banned home births after 2011 or something.. Maybe something about not insuring midwives to do homebirths??

Does anyone know what she meant and if this is true? What does this mean for HB? Are they not an option after 2011?

It annoys me that people are so against it and the government could even try to ban it!!! How I Birth should be my right to choose... However that may be!! I'm not even completely sure I want a HB but it makes me angry that my choice can be taken away by some ill informed politicians!!!

[onthefly]

I'm not 100% sure what the situation is right now, I think it's still technically under review (?) but I think that independent midwives will be required to form cooperative relationships with obstetricians in order to offer home births (know any OBs who would support a home birth...?) and the requirement to have insurance (which no insurer offers) will come in from 2012 (?).
There are still hospital-based & state-funded HB programs in some areas which will still be available. The AMA and FRANZCOG are working very hard to get homebirths banned, yes. It's very disappointing.

[Midwife Melissa]

Homebirth is still legal. It doesn't require a collaborative agreement with an obstetrician. Essentially, for homebirth nothing changes. If you would like to claim medicare for pregnancy and postnatal care, your midwife would need to have a collaborative agreement with a doctor. This is optional, ie, if no medicare, no agreement is needed.

There is no insurance for homebirth but this has been the case for many years now. There is insurance for pregnancy and postnatal care associated with a homebirth, but no insurance for the actual labour and birth at home.

[Ozziehoffy]

Homebirth is still legal. It doesn't require a collaborative agreement with an obstetrician. Essentially, for homebirth nothing changes. If you would like to claim medicare for pregnancy and postnatal care, your midwife would need to have a collaborative agreement with a doctor. This is optional, ie, if no medicare, no agreement is needed.

There is no insurance for homebirth but this has been the case for many years now. There is insurance for pregnancy and postnatal care associated with a homebirth, but no insurance for the actual labour and birth at home.

What does this mean? When you say collaborative agreement? Do you need to be doing shared care or something? Or is there just a letter needed from your GP or something? Would it mean you can claim some of the IM costs through medicare?

[Midwife Melissa]

What does this mean? When you say collaborative agreement? Do you need to be doing shared care or something? Or is there just a letter needed from your GP or something? Would it mean you can claim some of the IM costs through medicare?

There are several options for collaborative agreements; possibly the best thing would be to talk to your IM about which options s/he is using and how this would work in practical terms. If your midwife has been approved as an eligible midwife and s/he has a collaborative agreement and a medicare provider number, then you can claim the cost of antenatal and postnatal consultations. You may still be out of pocket but the benefits are generous.

[HotI]

I thought i read that no collaborative agreements have yet been signed off.

[Loula]

(know any OBs who would support a home birth...?)

My OB! he is a huge supporter of HB! in fact he thinks only high risk women sould see an OB, im sure he thought i was wasting his time, but i told him i might not be high risk but i am high maintainence! lol (but there are more HB in UK which is where he is also from)

[Tanya]

Absolutely not, they will not and can not ban homebirths.

[PumpkinZulu]

They can just make it a damn sight harder for midwives to privately practice homebirths, which in turn makes it a damn sight more expensive for women to access, but no, they can not ban homebirths, just heavily restrict how accessable they are, and put fear into anyone considering it.

[MrsBexie]

stupid government!! I bet it is a room full of boys making the choices too!!!

[Jennifer13]

It's about whether midwives can access insurance, not whether mothers are 'allowed' to have homebirths.

FWIW there is still coverage for homebirth with some private health insurers, so there's no way it's illegal! Pity it can't be that easy for midwives. I'm pretty sure the govt will come up with a bridging agreement in 2012 until they can figure it out anyway.

I'm planning on a HB in 2011.