GOVERNMENT BACKFLIP ON MIDWIVES

This article appeared in Australia.to yesterday afternoon. I feel like we've had a big win - so much for Mr 3am

Family First Leader Senator Steve Fielding has welcomed the decision by the Health Minister to back down on its controversial plan to drive homebirths underground.

Under the Government's original proposal, homebirths were to become illegal unless a midwife could find a doctor willing to work in collaboration with them.

But now the government says it won’t force midwives to work in formal collaborative arrangements with doctors as a condition of insurance.

"The Rudd Government's backflip proves they clearly underestimated how important this issue was to Australian women,” Senator Fielding said.

“Women should have the right to choose whether they want to have a birth in a hospital or at home, and midwives that assist in either case should be able to access affordable indemnity cover.

“The Rudd Government created this mess because it wouldn’t listen to the community and its concerns.

“All too often this Government is intent on ramming legislation though to suit their agenda without seriously considering the consequences.

“The Rudd Government acknowledges it made an error in essentially making homebirths illegal when it announced at the 11th hour that it would give homebirth midwives a two-year reprieve from its changes.

Now the government needs to guarantee that women will be able to continue giving birth at home with the assistance of a registered midwife once the two-year reprieve has expired.

“Numerous studies have shown that for low-risk women with appropriate transfer-to-hospital options available, homebirths are at least as safe as births in hospitals or birth centres.”
 

Midwives damn AMA-induced amendments to maternity reform

A fabulous article by Professor Lesley Barclay and Professor Sally Tracy

Senior midwifery research academics, including 19 professors and associate professors of midwifery, have signed an open letter raising serious concerns about the newly proposed amendments to Health Legislation (Midwives and Nurse Practitioners) Bill and the Midwife Professional Indemnity (Commonwealth Contribution) Scheme Bill.

These amendments are ill-informed, conflict with current regulation of the practice of midwives, and were promoted by a medical union (the AMA), rather than the craft groups most concerned and knowledgeable about women’s needs and safety at birth.

We and our colleagues are surprised and disturbed that pressure from a union rather than our medical colleagues has persuaded the government to make changes that are not informed by evidence, but appear to be based on protection of income and power.

We support reform of Australian maternity services — an area of long neglected policy by previous governments and health ministers.

To read the full article to go Crikey

I would love for your feedback on the logos. I am currently working on establishing a free standing birth centre in Sydney. We have decided on the name of the Janeanna Birth Centre. You can find out more about the birth centre on our Facebook fan page We have four draft logos pictured below.

Immediately below is Logo 1 - the heart pod image is Logo 4