Should mums have to pay to have a homebirth? [Archive] - Bub Hub Pregnancy & Parenting Forum

TwoBoysOnly

16-10-2007, 07:38

16-10-2007, 07:50

Definately they should be funded.

sueliz

16-10-2007, 07:57

Absolutely - homebirths should certainly be funded in the same manner that all births are or should be.

~Emmylou~

16-10-2007, 08:21

They won't fund them until Independent midwives get their insurance back.... so then midwives can have provider numbers and be recognised by medicare as registered care providers so before fighting for homebirth reimbursement we must first fight for the rights of midwives to be recognised as trained professionals in normal birth so that they are able to support the women :thumbsup:

Amen to that.

Homebirths will still be rare as hens teeth until midwives are insured, get provider numbers and are able to actually practice the profession they're trained in.

The government can pay for homebirths but if there's no one to attend them there's little point :(

But back to the OT, of course the govt should pay.

biscotti

16-10-2007, 08:31

yes :yes:

Lillynix

16-10-2007, 08:36

ABSOLUTELY NO!!!

If the goverment can fund every other way to have a baby, hospital vaginal birth, elective c-section then they should damn well support and help those of us who wish to homebirth!!!

QTB

16-10-2007, 08:43

I cant believe so many have said no!!

as above, they pay for elective c-sections... why not homebirths!!

anyway, yes, i think they should, and the midwives need our support to get it going!

~*clairesmum*~

16-10-2007, 08:55

:yes: they should be funded as someone said it would free up hospital beds, n every woman should be able o give birth at home if they want n not have to pay for it

sueliz

16-10-2007, 09:09

I cant believe so many have said no!!

I was surprised at this too - although I thought maybe a few people did so accidentally? I know I nearly did because I didn't read the actual poll question properly at first and was thinking of the thread title question 'should mums have to pay to have a homebirth' and very nearly hit the no button automatically with that question in mind....

ShadyCharacter

16-10-2007, 20:27

I am also surprised that ANYONE said no, and can only assume they misunderstood the question (I almost did too).... or are pot stirring.

Its a no-brainer, of course they should. And if more women took the option, it would save them $$ too :)

Shanaynay

16-10-2007, 20:34

Hell yeah - free up the hospitals for the sick people :smiliedance:

Shady I almost clicked 'no'.
The thread title is 'should women pay' so first thought is to click no!

Does anyone remember the referendum a few years back about Australia becoming a republic?
All the propaganda was "vote yes for a republic Australia" - then when voting came around they worded it 'should Australia stay a monarchy' - so if you voted yes, you were voting for the monarchy :banghead: Very confusing and I'm certain Australia would now be a republic if the worded it differently!

Fuchsia!

16-10-2007, 20:36

no i don't think they should pay. I think all births of choice should be free:yes:

SassyMummy

16-10-2007, 20:42

Most definitely should be free.

Free homebirths would mean...

*More space in hospitals for women who actually NEED to be there
*More knowledge of homebirth by the general public... hopefully it would end up being seen as a healthy birth choice, rather than "a dangerous thing weird hippies do."
*Women who cannot otherwise afford homebirth would be able to
*More power being given back to women
*Midwives being able to put their skills to good practice without the restraints of "hospital policy."
*A higher rate of healthy babies being born

I could probably go on.

Above all else, if expensive elective caesareans are free, so should homebirths be. They'd cost the government next to nothing compared to a VB in hospital/c-sec in hospital... and that extra money could be spent on other important areas that are being neglected in public hospitals...

Pixie

16-10-2007, 20:44

No we shouldn't have to pay...why should we? And yes it should be goverment funded. You pay a sh!tload of tax in Australia I am sure that 28 million they nicked from us Last year could be used :D

Oh and I voted No and I meant yes...sowy!

Here in the UK you get community midwifes from your hospital of which you can chose you can birth any where here. Although and I am yet to find this out, they consider you high risk I think quite a few of these high risk cases are VBAC's I shall see in 2 weeks.

OscarTheGrouch

17-10-2007, 10:11

I've got colleagues who have gone over to NZ to work as Midwives as there is a much wider scope of practice. They assist in home births and also have some prescribing rights.

Noah_and_Elijah

17-10-2007, 10:14

Hell yes!!! :yes:

The Government needs to recognise that alot of women would prefer to birth at home in familiar, comfortable surroundings rather than at a hospital and they shouldn't have to reach into their own pockets to do so.

Not to mention it would free up many much needed hospital beds.

shed

17-10-2007, 10:14

The thread title and the poll title say opposite things, so thats why it looks like they are saying no, but when you read the poll title you will see that they are actually saying that homebirths should be free.

Here to help, people, here to help.

mumzdaword

17-10-2007, 10:15

Nope i dont belive they should have to...it should be government funded:yes:

ThomasMum

17-10-2007, 10:29

Nothing is free in Australia...as far as I know...

Lozie

17-10-2007, 10:33

I cant believe so many have said no!!

Originally Posted by shed
The thread title and the poll title say opposite things, so thats why it looks like they are saying no, but when you read the poll title you will see that they are actually saying that homebirths should be free.

Here to help, people, here to helpI mistakenly voted NO! Sorry!
I whole heartedly think Homebirth should be government funded. As others have said elective c-sect is so why cant homebirth.... i would have homebirth over hospi birth anyday if i could afford it or better yet it was free:D

daisy4300

17-10-2007, 10:40

Here in the Northern Territory it is government funded. And they say we're behind everyone else!!!!:laughing:

It most definately should be free for all women. Why should one woman in one state be entitled to it free then another pay $2500 and yet another may have to pay $5000-$7500. Just to give birth to their child in the their own home. There needs to be more education out there. Or everyone who wants a homebirth will just have to move to the NT :laughing:

Freya

17-10-2007, 10:49

Absolutely government funded :yes:

If a women can choose to have a c-section for no reason and be covered then why can't a woman give birth the way it was intended in a natural environment away from *evil* medical intervention doing what feels right with her body not what some OB says...

Tam-I-Am

17-10-2007, 14:28

I've changed the poll so that it asks the same question as the thread title (don't stress, I've changed the answers around too) - so its less confusing. I hope that's okay, Ally :)

No, I don't think that mothers should have to pay for homebirths. As I have said in other threads - I think that the scope of choice for birthing mothers should be WIDENING - and the inclusion of homebirth with an Independent Midwife should be a viable choice for ALL birthing mothers - not just those with the money to pay for an independent midwife. I'm a bit wary of it too, though - as I know that if midwives are provided by the government, they will have to adhere to the same sorts of rules that hospital midwives currently do...and I don't think that's the best solution either...

Nothing is free in Australia...as far as I know...

My first birth, which was a public hospital birth, was completely free. I didn't have to pay for anything - not antenatal appointments, obstetricians, paediatricians, hospital stay - NOTHING. So that's not true.

Noah_and_Elijah

17-10-2007, 14:45

My first birth, which was a public hospital birth, was completely free. I didn't have to pay for anything - not antenatal appointments, obstetricians, paediatricians, hospital stay - NOTHING. So that's not true.

I agree, I didn't have to pay a red cent for my last birth and it was public. :)

Pixie

17-10-2007, 15:00

Public hospitals are free so ya hehe

TwoBoysOnly

17-10-2007, 15:44

But you all pay for it in your medicare levy at tax time and in your taxes so it isn't 'Free' as such really :no:

SassyMummy

17-10-2007, 15:48

But you all pay for it in your medicare levy at tax time and in your taxes so it isn't 'Free' as such really :no:

DD was born 2 years ago, and at that time, I was technically a single mother (according to Centrelink) as I didn't live with her father.

I haven't paid tax since her birth... ever.

Her father and I only moved in together not too long before the end of the previous financial year....

shed

17-10-2007, 15:57

But you all pay for it in your medicare levy at tax time and in your taxes so it isn't 'Free' as such really :no:

That's okay. I'll take it!! :D

Even if they had a health fund that covered some of it, I would join up straight away. Why do they cover a obstetrician but not a midwife? I don't want a flippin obstetrician.

TwoBoysOnly

17-10-2007, 15:59

Well I still don't think it's free because the ones who do pay tax are paying it for you

Tam-I-Am

17-10-2007, 16:03

That's okay. I'll take it!! :D

Even if they had a health fund that covered some of it, I would join up straight away. Why do they cover a obstetrician but not a midwife? I don't want a flippin obstetrician.

Australian Unity have a homebirthing policy - they'll fund up to $4000 of a homebirth....Mind you the premium for the policy with homebirth listed IS $4000 a year....so I'm not sure it really evens out anyway....

Noah_and_Elijah

17-10-2007, 16:10

But you all pay for it in your medicare levy at tax time and in your taxes so it isn't 'Free' as such really :no:

I haven't paid taxes for years so it doesn't apply to me.

TwoBoysOnly

17-10-2007, 16:12

I haven't paid taxes for years so it doesn't apply to me.

Well I still don't think it's free because the ones who do pay tax are paying it for you

Noah_and_Elijah

17-10-2007, 16:13

Sorry I missed that post above.

It's free for me, that's what I'm saying.

TwoBoysOnly

17-10-2007, 16:14

That's okay. I'll take it!! :D

Even if they had a health fund that covered some of it, I would join up straight away. Why do they cover a obstetrician but not a midwife? I don't want a flippin obstetrician.

A lot won't cover a midwife because they don't see them as registered care providers - we can't get provider numbers and we can't get insurance unlike doctors. They don't understand that midwives are the professionals in normal pregnancy and birth

erinjacob

18-10-2007, 09:46

im part of the community midwifes in perth. its government funde, i just pay $120 to cover the rest maybe we need more of these around, maybe we should have a home birth march out side the government house haha that would be funny

Beany

18-10-2007, 12:36

Damn it! I mistakenly voted "yes"! I went by the OP and didn't read the poll question :(

No I don't think women should be required to pay for a homebirth any more than a woman should be required to pay for an OB or an elective c-section.

PunkyDiva

18-10-2007, 13:44

maybe we should have a home birth march out side the government house haha that would be funny

A rally was held :thumbsup:
Not specifically for home birth but Maternity Reform.

http://www.uar07.co.nr/

First report from the Canberra Drive for Reform Rally
From: Melissa Fox
Sent: Friday, 28 September 2007 3:23 PM
Subject: [MCmanagement] Photos & report from Canberra

Hi everyone,

Am pretty knackered and still @ the conference so this will be short and sweet. But the rally was AMAZING!!!!

Cas (Maternity Coalition - National President) did a live cross interview on Ch 10 News in their Parliament House studio at 11am, she was AWESOME!! It led the news, even ahead of Burma: Presenter Natasha Beddingfield’s opening statement - “Stepping up the fight – mothers and midwives rally across the nation to reform our maternity care system”.

The rally had a fantastic turnout of over three hundred women - conference goers and Mums who were local and travelled for hours to get to Canberra. See attached for a couple of pics.

Media wise at the rally we had ABC TV, WIN TV, Prime TV (7), 2GB online news http://2gb.com/ (http://2gb.com/) , Rural Press, AAP. We also heard rumours that A Current Affair were there!!

Speakers included Janie Nottingham, Cas McCullough, Pat Brodie, Kate Lundy (ACT Labor Senator), Kerrie Tucker (ACT Greens Senate candidate), Jo Hunter, Justine Caines and Barb Vernon.

BIG NEWS - Kate Lundy committed the ALP to Medicare for midwives, to rousing cheers!!!

Ok, off to collapse! Keep your reports coming in of other rallies around the country – they’re fantastic!!

maiko

25-10-2007, 18:18

Like hospitals there should be the option of going public (eg Community Midwives) which is covered by Medicare, and going private (Independent Midwives).

ikis84

25-10-2007, 18:22

fai firinne

26-10-2007, 09:11

Maybe we should do a new poll?

New Zealand funds birth, it's irrelevant where you choose to have the baby, you choose your own two midwives and whether it's home, hospital or operating theatre it's the same two self-chosen midwives and the same funding.

If they can, we can.

Other countries have 40% homebirth and excellent safety statistics and consumer satisfaction. We have less than 2% homebirths. And a lot of birth trauma.

Sometimes I feel like the state of our maternity services is a vote of contempt from (certain quarters of) our society towards childbearing women ... a reflection of a wider misogyny. Sorry, but that's how I feel. Where women have more equality, there are better (woman-centered) birth services and free homebirth: CHOICE.

shed

26-10-2007, 10:06

Julie Doula I completely agree with you.

I feel that women are being told that they can't give birth properly because that's the one thing we can do that men can't do. Its our edge when we have caught up and are equal in everything else. So its being put down and taken away from us. That's why I get sad when other women buy into it.

I grew up in NZ and it wasn't til recently that I realised where the source of my hippiness comes from. It must have got through while I was growing up there. I commented to one of my friends recently that it seemed to be the kiwi chicks on here that were the real hippie types as well.

"Hippie" over here is "normal" over there.

I am definitely having a homebirth next time. I wish it was free, but I will just think of the baby bonus as being a homebirth allowance, since I could have a homebirth for free in NZ but wouldn't get the four grand (five grand by the time I push my next one out!)

Pippi Longstocking

26-10-2007, 13:35

I absolutely strongly believe that home birth should be government funded. The whole argument about whether it's free or not as we pay through taxes is irrelevant - the point is, you can still pay taxes but if you want a home birth, you have to pay extra for it. So while technically public hospital birth isn't "free", it is in comparison to home birth.