Births at home could be thing of the past

GIVING birth to her fourth baby at home was a wonderful experience for Bec Clark, but proposed new laws would make it an experience she’s unable to repeat.

Throughout her pregnancy, during and after the birth, the Clunes mum was cared for by two privately practising midwives.

The services of these independent midwives are essential to most home births.

However, a new medical registration scheme being considered by the Federal Government will make it illegal for private midwives to attend a home birth and could leave them facing criminal charges.

The crux of the issue is professional indemnity insurance – or a lack of it.

Midwives who provide maternity services in an independent private capacity, including assisting in home births, currently do so without indemnity cover.

The National Registration and Accreditation Scheme being considered will require all practising health professionals to have professional indemnity insurance, effectively sidelining these midwives.

The reason insurance companies refuse to provide this insurance has nothing to do with risk, said Vicki McAllister of the Northern Rivers Maternity Action Group, but rather that independent midwives are such a small group that it would not be financially viable for the insurance companies.

Ms McAllister said the proposed new scheme would have a huge impact on this region, as the
Northern Rivers has the highest number of home births outside Sydney.

She said there was a risk that the new rules would push home birthing underground.

“A lot of people will still have babies at home but will not be attended by a midwife – at great risk to mother and baby,” Ms McAllister said

Independent midwife Jane Alder, who has been assisting in home births in this region for the past five years, said she could no longer continue to offer home birthing assistance if the new scheme was adopted.

She said home birthing is an extremely safe practice that deserved more support from the medical profession in general, describing the current situation as ‘very backward and very patriarchal’.

A spokeswoman for the Minister for Health, Nicola Roxon, yesterday said the government would carefully balance all factors before making a decision on the scheme.

She said the lack of a professional indemnity product for private midwives was highlighted in the Report of the Maternity Services Review recently conducted by the Department of Health and Ageing.
“The report included a recommendation that consideration be given to Commonwealth support to ensure that professional indemnity insurance is available for appropriately qualified and skilled
midwives operating in collaborative team-based models,” the spokeswoman said.

Vicki McAllister said the new legislation will effectively take away a woman’s right to choose where and with whom she gives birth, a view echoed by Bec Clark.

“I believe very strongly that a woman should be able to choose where she gives birth,” she said.
“It’s a woman’s right.”