Homebirth

Can I have a home birth?

Midwives in independent practice and any midwives working as the primary carer in hospitals use the Australian College of Midwives Consultation and Referral Guidelines that have been endorsed by the Obstetric profession. These set out strict guidelines for Consultation and Referral which suggest the referral protocols for risk factors. Most independent midwives see birth as a natural, life changing event not an illness so it is unlikely that you would be "excluded". In fact if you have risk factors continuity of care - that is seeing the same midwife throughout your pregnancy is likely to lead to a better outcome than seeing many different people in the medical model of care.

Benefits of Homebirth

Many women who choose to birth their babies at home experience the benefits of one-to-one midwifery care, with the midwife of their choice.
Most midwives who attend homebirths work independently. Homebirths are funded entirely by the birthing woman, there is currently no medicare rebate available.

Here are some comments of a number of Illawarra Women on their homebirth experience:

“The guarantee of having the midwife of my choice attending my birth was extremely important to me and knowing that there was not going to be a change of shift halfway through my labour was a comforting thought.”

“So many fears seem to come to the fore when you’re pregnant and to have a familiar and trusted person or persons to guide you through makes all the difference in getting to a place where you can let go and go with the experience.”

“After my homebirths, there was no disruptive ‘packing up and moving’ as I experienced immediately after my hospital births. Instead I moved a metre from the pool to the lounge and watched my husband and midwife cook a meal!”

“Being at home is a really big part of it – an environment you feel totally ‘at home’ in. Feeling free to go into whichever room you need to be in – the bath or shower if you want. I’m sure I was so much more relaxed because I was at home and we all know how relaxing can help the whole birthing process.”

“All the decisions regarding tests and interventions were mine, not based on arbitrary policy. My midwife provided advice and resources to assist me in my decision making.”

“Knowing that intervention during labour would be minimal, any intervention which may take place is necessary and I am part of that decision making.”

“As a woman who has had a previous caesarean, a homebirth was the only way in which I could access continuity of care under the midwifery model. I felt much safer during my homebirth than I did during my VBAC at the hospital, where I did not have my own midwife, and there was no midwife present for much of the labour.”

“Knowing that my midwife knew me well and knew what emotional and physical state I was going into the labour and birth with was great, also she knew what had been going on around me and how that might affect me. She spoke and did little during the birth, but when she did need to step in with words of support and encouragement they were exactly what I needed, not some rote response to a woman in labour.”

“I really enjoyed the postnatal care provided during those first two week. Breastfeeding was properly established and being visited during this time gave me a wonderful sense of being cared for.”

Publically Funded Homebirth

Some public hospitals are now offering homebirth, in a limited capacity, to eligible women. The closest such hospital is St George, Sydney. Below is some information on this particular publically funded homebirth program.

Plans are underway to offer publically funded homebirth to Illawarra women in the future.

13/6/2008 - Maternity Services at Shellharbour Hospital
It was announced the post-natal ward at Shellharbour Hospital will be closing.
It was also announced that a homebirthing service would be provided through Shellharbour hospital.
ABC News Report
Illawarra Mercury report

Homebirth Policy Directive NSW Health

Evaluation of Publicly Funded Homebirth Program in South East Sydney Illawarra Area health service