Homebirth crisis will increase poor outcomes for scarred women if not resolved

Caesarean Awareness Network Australia (CANA) has today warned that as caesarean rates increase, more women scarred from negative hospital experiences will choose to birth at home without a registered midwife unless the Federal Government resolves the indemnity insurance crisis set to make homebirth with a midwife unlawful in July 2010.

Their comments come in the lead up to the Homebirth Rights Rally on September 7 and National Caesarean Awareness Day on September 11.

National Spokesperson and mother of three, Caroline McCullough said:

“We know, anecdotally, that more women who want to have a vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) are opting to homebirth with a midwife because of unsupportive hospital policies on VBAC."

"We’ve had no guarantees that new funding arrangements will extend to women wanting to birth after caesarean and some women will still want to make an informed choice to birth at home.

“We are concerned that these women and their babies may be put at risk should a registered midwife be inaccessible in 2010,” said Ms McCullough.

“Poor support for VBAC in the hospital system has translated into increased numbers of repeat caesareans. In Australia now, 1 in 3 women give birth by surgery and the numbers are rising. The risk of complications increases for every repeat caesarean, yet hospital policies make VBAC difficult for women. More and more women are turning to homebirths to avoid that unnecessary second caesarean.

“We’ve had reports from women who’ve been badgered and harassed by health services into complying with routine interventions that have no or little basis in evidence. We also know of women being turned away from regional maternity hospitals with 24 hour anaesthetic and obstetric coverage."

“Recent studies in the UK and Canada have shown VBAC at home to be a safe and reasonable option for normal healthy women with normal pregnancies. Despite no or little intervention, outcomes for VBAC women were generally improved for women who birthed at home.

“Women planning to homebirth after caesarean want the homebirth indemnity problem solved so they can make family planning decisions with the confidence that they’ll be able to have a trained and registered midwife attend to them in a homebirth and we’re concerned that women just won't have this option available to them come July 2010."

Ms McCullough is flying to Canberra for Monday’s rally to support equity in childbirth choices.

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Contacts: Caroline McCullough 0438 898 706