homebirth options in Cairns

[Visitor7]

I'm hoping someone can help. What are the legalalities (sp) of a homebirth, in Qld (or Cairns to be specific)? Who can I have present with me? Midwife/Doula? Once bub is born, do I HAVE TO go to the hospital?
Cairns doesn't have a birthing suite yet, just the private or public hospitals. I've been to the public hospital here twice to birth my girls, and had a wonderful experience, but if we went for a 3rd, I'd love the idea of a homebirth.

[DaintreeDream]

I don't have any answers for you Jodi but I am keen to keep an eye on this thread. I am hoping to have a HBAC with my 3rd and by then we should be living in Cairns. I am sure there are options for us but I am not sure what they are.

[amy_o]

I had an excellent doula who knows of independant midwives here who do home births. PM me if you want more details. Hope that helps.

[Baby Blue Eyes]

Hi here are the details of the two homebirth midwives in Cairns.

Appartently Dagmar is cheaper but I didn't like her 'tone' over the couple of emails and her lack of response with emails. It would take me 2 emails to get one response.

Dagmar her email is dagmarcairns@vr-web.de

Judy
Mobile: 0427932748

Judy is a homebirth midwife in Mareeba but will travel to Cairns I have heard she is good and charges about $ 3500????

We were talking about this but decided to go through the Cairns Base as it doesn't cost us anything but we are well prepared this time around and may or may not have our doula available (due to her personal situation) but am confident from the information she has given my dh and I that we can do this birth completely natural and the midwives at the hospital have my birth plan already and I will discuss it at every single appointment and I am also looking into a water birth at the hospital.

[Baylee's Mum]

Hi Amy, I'm new to this site and can't find where to send you a PM (I'm sure it's obvious, but I'm going nuts trying to work it out!!!)..

Anyhow, you mentioned that you had a doula here in Cairns. I tried for Lisa Schuring, who is not available, and also Linda Hay, also not available for my due date (26th Apsil 09).

Did you have any other contacts of doulas who might be available to help me VBAC at Cairns Private Hospital??

Thanks,

Baylee's Mum

[EvaKaysMama78]

Hi jodi,
Im in Cairns also, and looking at a home vbac.(fingers crossed)
My sis in law used Judy from mareeba, and had a successful homebirth of her 11.5 pound baby boy....bless her!..and proceeded to go to bed!!, no hospital visit, as nothing was wrong.
I have also spoken to Judy, and she is lovely, and full of information.
She charged around the $3500 mark (i think)
im not sure if she does the hospital side of things though, but her number is on a previous post.id love to find out how u go with everything..
hope this helps

[berrme]

I don't live in Cairns anymore, but have been informed that the Cairns Base has a low risk birthing centre in their new Maternity ward and you have numerous birthing options there. Perhaps it is worth checking this out further.

[apsara]

Hi Jodi, I have just finished studying to become a doula and need to attend 3 births to complete my course. I am traveling around australia with my partner and our beautiful one year old daughter who was born at home. We will be in heading north and will be in townsville and cairns in the next couple of months. I realise this may be too late for yourself, but if you know of anyone that would like a doula. I would love to meet them and support them through such a magical process.

You can contact me if you would like a student doula on leelee.steve@yahoo.com.au

[Alan]

Hi Jodi
You can have a homebirth in Cairns and if all is normal you do not need to go to the hospital after the birth.
I will be in Innisfail in a few weeks About 1 hour soothe of Cairns. I have just attended the homebirth of twins in Biloela. Email me if you want to chat.
alan@yourmidwife.com.au

[Karen van]

Hi Jodi

Sorry have tried to post a few times and hit some glitches. I was just wondering if you have had any success with organising your homebirth as I wasn't sure when you were due??? I had Judy Chapman in 2005 with my daughter at home but due to some on-going political witchhunts she is currently unavailable at the moment for homebirths. Dagmar I have yet to contact and my next option if she cannot help is to try and have Judy as a caseload midwife up at the Mareeba Midwifery unit. Hope you are successful as it can be very challenging going down this path - often more so for the external obstacles rather than the personal challenges we feel around our choice.

Much luck to you!
Karen van

[ben&brooke]

I had an excellent doula who knows of independant midwives here who do home births. PM me if you want more details. Hope that helps.

Hi Karen,
My name is Ben and my wife is Brooke, we are looking for a midwife in the FNQ area, would you be able to point us in the right direction? maybee a phone number or an email of a practicing midwife who may know where who could help us?

Thanks,
Ben and Brooke.

[Alan]

Hi Ben & Brook
I am a homebirth midwife working in FNQ. I would be happy to talk with you.
alan@yourmidwife.com.au
0429 709 008

[Karen van]

Hi Ben and Brooke

It depends where I suppose you are in FNQ - I am anchored in Cairns so my choices are from this immediate area. I have contacts for a practising homebirth midwife I am booked with and there is a male midwife up on the Tablelands - he is more a straight homebirth I-will-be-there-for-the-birth person rather than a midwife who offers a full pregnancy care service (no insult intended - it just depends what you want). As I said another wonderful, very experienced homebirthing midwife who works between Cairns/Tablelands is currently unavailable until a disciplinary matter is resolved (and currently it is still going). Let me know if you would like more specific info if the area is relevant to you!

Good luck!
Karen van
)

[ben&brooke]

Hi Ben and Brooke

It depends where I suppose you are in FNQ - I am anchored in Cairns so my choices are from this immediate area. I have contacts for a practising homebirth midwife I am booked with and there is a male midwife up on the Tablelands - he is more a straight homebirth I-will-be-there-for-the-birth person rather than a midwife who offers a full pregnancy care service (no insult intended - it just depends what you want). As I said another wonderful, very experienced homebirthing midwife who works between Cairns/Tablelands is currently unavailable until a disciplinary matter is resolved (and currently it is still going). Let me know if you would like more specific info if the area is relevant to you!

Good luck!
Karen van
)

Hi Karen thank you so much for getting back to us.
We will be living in the Port Douglas area (but willing to travel to cairns, we are looking for a midwife who can offer pregnancy care. the past two children have been deliverd by myself with a midwife helping me (both in a hospital, without hospital staff). i would feel much more comfortable with a (female) midwife who has deliverd babies before.
You mentioned about an experience midwife who is currently unavailable due to disciplinary action, im not sure but i may be of assistance as iam a constitutional para legal, who has a nack for rebutting quasi legal matters.
my email is: nrg_ben@hotmail.com

Kind Regards,
Ben

[Mermaid]

Hello everyone....
This is my 1st post. Let's hope this works.
I am 18 weeks pregnant with my 1st baby. I live at the Northern Beaches in Cairns. I am wanting to find out more about the birthing options available to me.
I would love to have a water birth. Is this possible in Cairns? Is it possible at the Cairns Base?
I do not have private health care.
Does anyone recommend a really good midwife/doula?
Any other information you would like to share please feel free.

I am very very green to all of this & would welcome any advice/suggestions you have.

Thanks

[Visitor7]

Hi Mermaid,

Welcome to BellyBelly and congratulations on your pregnancy!!
I unfortunately haven't looked into a doula/private midwife in Cairns YET, as I'm not pregnant. But what I can tell you, is that Cairns Base is a fantastic hospital to birth in. And yes, they do have the option of having a water birth. Have you been for a tour yet? Have you seen any dr's there yet?

Let us know how you get on.

[AngelsMum]

I just wanted to add to this thread to say that I keep in touch with most of the birth workers in the region, so if anyone wants updated details, feel free to contact me: haylynda (at symbol) hotmail.com.

I am also actively & constantly trying to encourage someone to train as a doula. I almost (pressured? ) *ahem* encouraged someone to train recently, but she's chosen to be a post-natal doula. Which is still pretty brilliant!

So, as a quick summary to date, in the region we have:

* 3 Independant MW's. Though one is/was on hiatus, one only covers a certain area, and one travels from Townsvile thru north of Cairns & Tablelands.
* There is an acupuncturist in Kuranda who does sometimes attend births as a doula in Cairns.
* There's now a post-natal doula in Cairns and soon to be in Innisfail..
* A homebirth doula who also does provide pre-natal education.
* Two doulas in my area (between Cairns & Townsville). However, the other doula is thinking about moving a bit closer to Cairns .... so who knows?
* I will attend homebirths further afield and on occasion, attend clients who are birthing in Cairns hospitals.

I also have a summary of the Perinatal Data of the hospitals in the region if anyone would like a copy.

Anyway, I'm not sure if I've forgotten anything, but I'll update anyone at the time.

Feel free to contact me anytime!

Cheers,
Angelsmum/Lynda.