Mandatory reporting

There is a great deal of discussion and some dismay in the world of private midwifery, since we learned that a 'mandatory reporting' notification was made of a midwife who was deemed to be practising without insurance.

We understand that this midwife was in a public hospital with a woman who had planned homebirth. After transfer of care to the hospital, the midwife continued in a supportive role with the woman: the usual practice in Australia when women transfer from planned home birth to hospital care.

A scarred uterus

The Australian College of Midwives (ACM) has released an Interim Homebirth Position Statement for comment.


The ACM Interim Guidance for privately practising midwives providing midwifery care for a planned homebirth state:

"There are some contraindications to a planned homebirth which women should be informed of at booking. These are:
• Multiple pregnancy
• Abnormal presentation (including breech presentation)
• Preterm labour prior to 37 completed weeks of pregnancy
• Post term pregnancy of more than 42 completed weeks
• Scarred uterus"