Birthing options limited Any Advice ?

[niki01]

Hi expecting baby no 3 , had a homebirth with a midwife for no 1 and a birthcentre for no 2. Both born naturally.
Homebirthing is a little out of my finacial reach $5200 and my local hospital has what i would call an agressive birth managment policy, no continuity of care and no facilities that supports natural birthing.
I am aware of the maternity issues around this situation but what i want to know is what the hell am i meant to do ??? birth at home anyway without a midwife ? leave my family and travel away (expensive and impractical)? I terrified of birthing in the local hospital and my birth turning into a battle of opinions and policies that i have to fight during labour . And yes roxan got a letter from me !! Help.>(

[Temple]

Can you use the baby bonus to pay for a midwife? I think most midwives are fairly flexible with payment options (who has $5000 hanging around? not many people lol). check with the local midwives before totally discounting it - I wouldn't want to birth in my local hospital either!

[allycam]

Hi Niki

I definately realte to your sense of fear!

We are on a low income - but felt really disappointed (and frightened) by the local public options. We were lucky enough to find a homebirth midwife who we really liked and trusted, and who was happy to let us pay her off at a rate that was affordable to us. We found most midwives would let us use the baby bonus payments too after the baby was born - so this took some of the pressure off. Just imagine if midwives had medicare access - how much easier it would all be!!!

Anyway, the only other thing I can think of if paying off the midwife is not an option for you is to see if you can find a strong and experienced doula who will support and advocate for your choices as you go through pregnancy and birth in the public system. With a skilled advocate you may be able to take your own things to hospy with you to help support a natural birth - birthing pool, oils, etc. But of course you'd need to organise all of this in advance - and having a doula might be of help in taking some of the stress out of the negotiations with the hospy.

Good luck - let us know how it goes.

[ENR]

Just wanted to wish you good luck with this. I hope you find a way around this that fits with your wishes and expenses. There has been some great suggestions so far and I hope something works out for you.

[Emily33]

Hi niki

I have no advice for you but I'm reading up on the subject as I want a homebirth for my next baby (and it really upsets me when a mother's choice is removed).

I can't believe this situation. You shouldn't have to be using your baby bonus to pay for a service the public health system should provide.

Roxan will be hearing from me too.

I had DD in a private hospital. I spent so much energy preparing myself and others so that I could have a natural birth which I did have. Now the more I hear and read the more I realise how important this issue is. I desperately want a homebirth for my second baby. I'll be the first in my close circle to have had one. So I'll be using a lot of energy to prepare them and help them understand what is safe. Oh... I can't think too much about this now. It's a pandora's box. It just winds me up when my choices are removed from me. And so reading your post I feel for you.

Let us know how you go.

[hanabi]

It's hard to glean from your post just where you live but I gather you're rural? And you haven't mentioned how far along you are but since it's your third baby and you're experienced enough to know how you labour and birth you could do the usual antenatal appts at the hospital on the assumption that they'll treat you as an experienced mother and give you more say in the decision making processes associated with your care and then, going by that experience and any important health considerations, decide later whether you and your husband would choose to birth at home unattended or whether to labour elsewhere and then turn up suitably late enough to make any interventions impossible, or whether to arrive at the hospital in the conventional fashion (with a doula if desired) in the knowledge that you have a history with some of the care providers there. I really think it's impossible at this early stage, and without any evidence to support your concerns, to decide how you'll birth. Keep your options open and test the water before diving in. I know we all like to know who our care provider will be and what to expect from the outset, but it seems you have time on your side...?

[Nyree]

I agree with talking to some MW's about paying with the baby bonus.

If you're already pregnant, you'll still be birthing before the changes come into play (July next year), so you will still be able to birth at home with an IM present

[Emily33]

Just bumping up the threads highlighting issues relating to homebirth and/or Roxon's proposed legislation.

TAKE ACTION!!! Tell Roxon, as highlighted in one of the points made in the homebirth Australia link below: It is not appropriate to force women to give birth at home without a midwife OR WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT - more suggestions and Roxon's contact details here:

Keep Private Midwifery Alive! | Home Birth Australia

Maternity Coalition-Campaigns