Hi, my name is Catherine and I'm part of the Save Birth Choices team. If you believe all women should have a choice in birthplace and caregiver - you should read this:

As of July 2010, birthing women of Australia will lose their right to choose both their caregiver and their place of birth. Midwives will not be allowed to attend homebirths due to new national registration of health professionals that requires professional indemnity insurance, which is currently unavailable to midwives. If they do attend a birth, they face a $30K fine and/or 6 years jail. The Australian Government has made this decision without consideration of birthing women.

Three bills have already been introduced in Parliament prohibiting Independent Midwives from attending homebirthing women. We need to take action NOW to stop them becoming legislation – or else face homebirth with a midwife becoming ILLEGAL.

Even if you would never consider having a homebirth yourself, and you may have already had all your children – we ask you then to think about the future generations. If you believe that healthy women should have the choice to have a homebirth, we need your help to change the proposed legislation.

Women in NZ and the UK were faced with this similar situation - the only way that they overcame it was for women of ALL birthing stances to stand up for women's birth choices. (Homebirth is now offered as a regular, and at times, preferred option in both these countries).

If you're not sure about the safety of homebirth, a recent study (2009) of over 500,500 women showed that planned homebirth for healthy women with a well-trained midwife was as safe as hospital birth. Research by the World Health Organisation takes a further step, indicating that homebirth is at times safer for women having their 2nd+ babies, than in hospital.

Three imperative ways you can help:

1. URGENT DEADLINE – 20th July 2009 - that's this coming Monday
Write a short submission for the Senate Inquiry regarding the Medicare for Midwives Legislation. We’ve made it easy - visit this link to download an information sheet, including a submissions template. Although, if you were able to write a submission without the template, that would carry more weight – a paragraph on why homebirth with a midwife is an important birth option is sufficient.

2. Visit your Federal MP
We urgently need people to visit their MPs to express concern about the midwiferyindemnity issues before Parliament resumes in mid-August. If you are interested in visiting your MP, please contact us at savebirthchoices@gmail.com for a detailed information pack addressing the key aspects of the visit.

3. Attend the “Mother of All Rallies” ~ it needs to be HUGE
In 2010 Homebirth Midwifery will be illegal.

Join Homebirth Australia outside Parliament House in Canberra for the “Mother of all Birth Rallies”.

11.30am, 7 September 2009

Can't come to the September Rally? Want to be there not just in spirit?
Why not support us with a cut out to be placed amongst those attending.
Purchase a $25 "Virtual Rally Ticket" from the Homebirth Australia website:
http://www.homebirthaustralia.org/


Every contribution in writing, person or to the 'virtual rally' is greatly appreciated. If you know of anyone that would be interested in this information, please forward it to them urgently as time is of the essence.

If you have any questions please contact us through www.savebirthchoices.com.au

Thank you again for your support,

The team at Save Birth Choices