Maternity Coalition's campain in response to the Maternity Services Review

From Janie Nottingham:
I am writing to inform you of the Maternity Coalition campain underway at present and to develop links with many of you and detail how you can become involved.

The MC website has been updated and I urge you to please go and have a look at it

http://www.maternitycoalition.org.au



Maternity Coalition believes that the implementation of the review could see a system that ranges from providing women with every choice, to a system that restricts women even further than they are restricted today. We have particular concerns about the Government's support and funding of private midwifery care and midwife-led care in public hospitals. The government has made it clear that homebirth will not be supported at this time.

Maternity Coalition has sent a letter to the Health Minister and is awaiting a response.

Our campaign asks the Government to listen and respond to women and to enable women to have all options available.

Letter writing campaign:
MC has developed a sample letter to assist when drafting your own. This is not on the web site yet but will be uploaded shortly, it is a page version of the one already distributed by Bruce Teakle - click here.

Please send a letter to Nicola Roxon and to your local federal MP (you can find your local federal member through the AEC website). Please do not cc your letters, write two separate ones (this ensures responses!).

Nicola Roxon
Minister for Health and Ageing
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Visit your Federal MP:
It is valuable to also meet with your local federal MP, make sure you see them and not just one of their staff.

Join our postcard campaign:
MC has developed a postcard campaign and has printed 10,000 copies, all of which will be sent to Minister Roxon's office. We need your help! Order your bundle of postcards to distribute amongst your friends and family. Simply attach a stamp and write your name and address (and a short message if you choose), pop it in the mail, and your postcard will join the thousands of others making their way to Nicola Roxon's office, all carrying our message - Every Woman, Every Choice. Order your postcards by emailing postcards@maternitycoalition.org.au We really need to have a state wide discussion about this and develop our approach, I am the chief distributor at present and would love a representative from each branch to come forward to liase with me to ensure we do this part well. Again this would be discussed in detail on a conference call hook up for all interested Victorians.

Organise or attend an event on our National Day of Unity and Action for Birth Reform:
A national day of action will be held on July 4, 2009. For further information, or to register your local event email campaign@maternitycoalition.org.au.

Support homebirth as an option for Australian women:
We also ask that if you feel strongly about homebirth as an option, you also support the Homebirth Australia campaign.

What else are we up to?
We are making links to other birth-related organisations and are developing a joint letter to be signed by all organisations to go to the Government. If you can help in any way with this it would be greatly appreciated, it would also be timely for us to do this within Victoria.

This is a time for women to unite to support all choices being available in birth.

Thank you for supporting this campaign.

Please stay in contact and ask for any info you require.

For Women For Midwives


Janie Nottingham
Acting Vic MC President
janie.nottingham@gmail.com

Safe natural birth under threat

MEDIA RELEASE
[prepared by a group in central Victoria]

Safe natural birth under threat
New government policy is looking to remove womens' access to private midwives. Local supporters of private midwives recently came together in a letter writing workshop and are planning further actions.

Ilana Solo says “My children were born with support from private midwifes - one in a hospital and one at home in Campbells Creek last month. The continuous support I received went far beyond the support offered by the hospital system and helped make both births safe, natural births.”
“My midwifes were with me throughout the pregnancy and stayed for the whole birth. There was no going home at the end of the shift. They also helped me for an extended period after the birth.”
Drummond based private midwife Sally McCrae believes that many women could have better birth outcomes with the support of a private midwife. She attends the births of about 25 babies each year. In her 30 years of practice, she has seen many changes.
“I spend many hours with the family prior to the birth listening to them and gaining their trust. I am able to tailor the support I give to birth each baby safely and as naturally as possible.”
“Australias ceasarean rate has doubled in the last ten years and is much higher than world health organisation reccomendations. If women are denied the choice of private midwifes, we will move one step closer to losing the skills of safe natural birth.”
Continuity of care and homebirth are nationally funded in the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and The Netherlands. Studies have shown that this model delivers good outcomes for the mother and the child and reduces the risks of postnatal depression and other post birth complications.


PLEASE NOTE
This media release can be used as a template in other settings

MIDIRS Podcasts - a new educational resource for midwives

Launching MIDIRS podcasts – the best midwifery information at a time and place to suit you

MIDIRS is pleased to announce the launch of its new podcast service, which will focus on delivering key information surrounding pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period to maternity health care professionals.

This free resource replaces MIDIRS Webinars. It aims to deliver the best maternity expertise to you at a time and place which suits.

...
In order to subscribe to a podcast, you need an internet connection and a piece of podcast software which is usually available free of charge. Once you have installed this software, it will check MIDIRS for new episodes of your chosen podcast series and automatically download new episodes for you.
...
What is available?

Categories include antenatal, intrapartum, postnatal, neonatal, professional practice, research and education, maternity services and miscellaneous and specialist topics. We have an extensive back catalogue of podcasts available from the MIDIRS archives and will be adding new ones all the time. Guest speakers have included Denis Walsh, Soo Downe, and Ina May Gaskin.

To launch our new service we have an excellent podcast from Dr Sara Wickham on the art of questioning! Sara is renowned for her inquisitive and critical approach to the consideration of various midwifery practices. Sara brings these skills to this podcast, as she helps us to consider the role of reflective practice and critical thinking in contemporary maternity care provision. Asking questions is fundamental to our daily practice and Sara demonstrates how questions are often posed while midwives work within multiple paradigms. For example, the obstetric (medical) model, where birth is only perceived as ‘normal’ in hindsight, compared to the midwifery (social) model of care with its strong focus on normality, in which pregnancy is viewed as an altered state of normal health.

What are we doing and why are we doing it? How can we view it differently and how can we improve things? If you feel the need to be inspired or re-enthused to challenge practice, then this podcast is an absolute must for you!

We hope that you enjoy our new podcast service as well as letting us know your thoughts through the reviewing facility.

| Adam McGahern | IT Manager | MIDIRS |

ABC 7.30 Report on homebirths

Homebirths could soon be forced underground

Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcast: 01/04/2009
Reporter: Kirstin Murray

A recent review of the country's maternity services recommended the Government overhaul the power given to midwives. If the recommendations are accepted by the Health Department, some midwives could be given access to many benefits doctors have including professional indemnity insurance.

[click for Transcript]

ANF study day on legal issues for midwives and nurses

‘Am I Responsible?’

Australian Nursing Federation (Vic Branch) Professional Day Conference gives nurses and midwives the opportunity to listen to key players in these changes and to ask questions of these leaders in nursing.

Friday May 22, 2009 at the Rydges on Swanston, 701 Swanston St. Melbourne.

The program includes:
* Magistrate/Coroner Audrey Jamieson starts the day by exploring the coronial expectations in the fulfilment of your duty of care.
* Barrister Ron Gipp examines the impact on nurses of the coronial process with a case study.
* Nigel Fidgeon, the CEO of the Nurses Board of Victoria (NBV), who explains the NBV rationale of moving responsibility for determining scope of practice to the employer and the individual nurse.
* We then put the three speakers on the spot, in a panel discussion facilitated by Philip Gardner, Partner of Ryan Carlisle Thomas Solicitors and ask them to answer the question ‘So who’s really responsible for making the decision?’ and invite you to put all the questions you have to them.

This forum aims to provide midwives and nurses with firsthand information on the coronial process, tribunals and NBV expectations relating to their duty of care. It also aims to provide insights into education and practice as a result of changes to professional regulation and government policy.

Questions: Elaine Toma on 9275 9333 or email etoma@anfvic.asn.au

To register securely for this conference click this link.

Scholarships for midwives and midwifery students

The Victorian Branch of the Australian College of Midwives is pleased to offer a range of scholarships for the preparation for practice of both undergraduate and postgraduate entry levels, supporting midwives to reach their full potential by undertaking higher degrees or activities reflecting advanced skills and knowledge related to their area of practice.

In 2009 the Vic Branch will offer the following scholarships:

· 1 metropolitan student of an undergraduate pre-registration program $1000.00

· 1 regional/rural student of an undergraduate pre-registration program $1000.00

· 1 metropolitan student of an postgraduate pre-registration program $1000.00

· 1 regional/rural student of an postgraduate pre-registration program $1000.00

· 1 higher degree or advanced practice scholarship $2000.00

· 1 scholarship for midwife to attend a short course, conference or other professional development activity $2000.00

For more information on the application process please contact
Louise Allen, Membership officer
Ph: 1300 360 480
(02) 6230 7333
F: (02) 6230 6033

website: www.midwives.org.au

POSTSCRIPT

International Midwives Day is on the 5th of May.

This year the Australian College of Midwives has some great Merchandise for you to purchase. Just go to the College website www.midwives.org.au and follow the link the IMD web page.

Lets make this International Midwives day one to remember!

Save Private Midwifery and homebirth choices

Please support homebirth and private midwifery by signing the the Homebirth Australia petition

Jo Hunter's SAVE PRIVATE MIDWIFERY homebirth Video

SAVE PRIVATE MIDWIFERY