RE: [ozmidwifery] JLY1 outcry!

[Wayne and Caroline McCullough]

Title: Message

We recently had a front page article on our local newspaper (in Brisbane) about this issue and our MC branch president was quoted saying that midwifery care is important to the solution, not extra doctors. The week after, a letter of mine was printed in the paper stating the following (minus a few extra words after editing):   "Midwivery care vital for births" The dearth in maternity care choices has had a huge impact on my family. My first baby was born by emergency caesarean due to a catastrophic cascade of unnecessary intervention. As a result, I endured a painful recovery and months of depression. It wasn't until I became pregnant with no. 2 that I discovered obstetric support for VBAC (vaginal birth after caesarean) was virtually non-existent. As I felt let down by obstetric care after my first baby’s birth, I wanted to have my next baby at the Royal Women's Birth Centre but was automatically excluded due to my scar. So, my only other option was to hire an independent midwife or have my baby at home unassisted. Considering the obstetric fraternity overestimates VBAC risks according to medical research literature, it angers me that women in my situation are denied access to the support they desperately need within our health system. In the end, baby no. 2 was born by necessary caesarean so I am thankful we have access to obstetricians when we need them but rather than crying about the lack of doctors, the government should provide healthy pregnant women with one-to-one midwifery care so that those women who don't need medical intervention can avoid doctors altogether. We have a lot of support from Labour Party members and our current goal in Qld is to get birthcare reform on the media agenda in force so that it gets onto the election agenda (later this year or early next year). Hope the content of this letter helps if any of you want to draft similar responses. Cheers, Cas McCullough