thanks, i'll keep that in mind. We're not looking to have another (if we do) for at elast a couple of years - so I'm a bit worried that those few middies will be banned outright from practicing by then just gotta keep working at it, hey?
It's very expensive, I know. But I reckon it's worth it. We have to pay $3000+ just to get pregnant too!
OMG $7k for a homebirth! That is just crazy! Yet the government will fund for a healthy woman to take up room in a hospital to birth? Surely it would cost them less to promote home birth/ midwife led care as an option for low risk pregnancies?
MadB, do they have free IVF cycles in Aus? Provided you meet a selection criteria, couples are eligible for first cycle of IVF to be govt funded and sometimes a second.
I think there is a kid limit for the free cycles. So to get a home birthed baby in Aus you are looking at 10k? That is rough! We are so fortunate here.
Ours was about $5K, for two midwives. Love them - so much experience between the two of them, just loved them!
I have made friends with someone who I know through completely different circles and it turns out she's a midwife. And not just any midwife, she's a serious campaigner for homebirthing and within the Aust College of Midwives. So, if she can't find me a way to birth with midwives at home, no-one can and I'll definitely be going unassisted at home at the farm! Plus, we have our ambulance cover as well as a couple of paddocks a chopper can land in to whisk me away if medically necessary...!
I love NZ a lot (my sister married a kiwi and has jumped the ditch), but I don't love it that much I've got a tenuous claim to my 'country' down here as it is, without disconnecting further by birthing in a land that isn't 'my own', IYKWIM. Sense of place has always been important to me, which is silly because I'm a child of an Irish migrant and Central American migrant born here with no previous connection to Oz, and as rootless as that is supposed to make me, I know this is the place for me.
I have been thinking about this a lot lately, as I read the story of "Yiri's Birth", a lady called Fleur who campaigns for the right to self-determination of Indigenous birthing women, and it's about birthing on country. I've really connected with that story. Us non-Indigenous women think we're hard done by because we have to pay through the nose to homebirth, or that we'll have to contemplate freebirth, and we don't really think about the profound effect on identity that it has to force Indigenous women away from traditional birthing practices. Once we get that right, I believe the rest will follow for us whitefellas. Once we're looking after the most vulnerable birthing women in our country, we can demand respect and our rights and expect them to be upheld. It's a house of cards if we think it's good enough to ensure that we have the right to an IM in our homes and stop the agitation there.
Off my soapbox
I can find the link to the pdf'd article, if anyone's interested in it? PM if interested.
Just proves to me that homebirthing is more than just wanting to birth in your own physical structure. It goes deeper than that by a long shot.
We had our final scan today. We're having a little girl! DD is super excited so any disappointment that our gender swaying efforts did not work out have been overshadowed. She was telling everyone who walked by and grinning from ear to ear.
Everything is looking great, both with baby and me. C/s scar completely healed and barely detectable, placenta already almost 6 cm away from the cervix, all in tip top shape. Baby cooperated beautifully. I think it's all systems go now from my POV for a HB. All baby has to do is get into a good position in about 15-20 weeks time.
Now we have to think of names, I have no clue!
Our HB will cost $5K, I'm paying a little extra to have her come to me for all visits. I think it's normally 4,500. We have two m/ws for that as well.
Jennifer! *squeaallllllll* that is fantabulous news!!! and two little girls are just awesomeness x1000!
Arte: yeah we paid about $5000 for our birth and various bits and bobs that went with it (calmbirth course and pathology etc etc). TBH i was thankful that i could pay and just wish that others could experience the joy of having a baby at home (and the care that comes with it...even if you transfer ITMS). I wish that there was funding for HB, that way more families could have happier birth outcomes and support and our beautiful midwives could stop living on cash to cash basis.
I went to GP to get checked out. Bub had strong heart beat on doppler. I have pulled muscle in top of groin and also in my tummy. Also, have hernia around my belly button (i just thought i had popped really early).
I think i am feeling bub move, just last night and today. Yay!
Ouch Hot1! Is there anything you need to do about the hernia? I'm still getting mostly wiggles and low down movements, but I'm happy that I can feel something and that because I can't feel much it means that placenta is doing its job and growing in the best possible place. Nowhere near the exit!
I have to wait til after bub arrives, and then see if it fixes itself at all. If not, and i get pain from it, then they can surgically repair it. Will see if they can do a tummy tuck at the same time I had a big abdominal muscle seperation with DD and it is happening again, so i think that is the cause. I will start wearing my tummy support bandage (blah) again.
I had my m/w appt today. Geez it's nice not to have to drag myself out on a cold rainy day and sit in a dr's office for an extra half an hour when he's late!
Everything good and the m/w gave me a couple of reading books to get into. She's bringing some Ina May Gaskin books and a few for DD next time. And the number to call to book in our calmbirth course. Apparently the Australian calmbirth founder runs courses not far from us, so we can probably go along to his. I'd like to go to a course run by a man too, for DP's sake. I think it'd be nice for him to get a man's perspective on birth, what with all the women around us for the most part!
yeah he runs them pretty close to sydney (well closer to canberra, but still doable as a short enough drive!). that would be way cool to do one with him...jealous!
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just gotta keep working at it, hey?
I've got a tenuous claim to my 'country' down here as it is, without disconnecting further by birthing in a land that isn't 'my own', IYKWIM. Sense of place has always been important to me, which is silly because I'm a child of an Irish migrant and Central American migrant born here with no previous connection to Oz, and as rootless as that is supposed to make me, I know this is the place for me.
that is fantabulous news!!!
and two little girls are just awesomeness x1000!
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