We’ve watched as successive governments have whittled away at homebirth from the loss of insurance to the introduction of the fauxbirth schemes run through hospitals and now Homebirth Australia has resurfaced to tell us the news no one else hears since we’re just lowly old consumers. We have just (and yes I mean in the [...]

Filed under: consumers' rights, homebirth campaign, surgical monopoly

Hathor speaks: I get asked all of the time, how I decided to have an unassisted birth the first time and a few years ago I wrote about my decision an essay called Pregnancy Log (here’s an excerpt): Saturday, January 10th We all go to my first visit with my midwife. She is sooooooo cool. [...]

Filed under: Uncategorised

VBAC is an endangered species. This is not really surprising since vaginal births of all kinds are endangered and it only makes sense that having created a birthing monster of cuts and scars, Dr Frankenstein would be unwilling to let the monster go use it’s body in some way that silly old evolution intended. But [...]

Filed under: careproviders, consumers, consumers' rights, midwives, midwifery, surgical monopoly

What should I do? Nothing dear, you’re not qualified. Welcome to how homebirth will look at your place – if you’re allowed to have one. Some homebirth advocates (Wingnuts, Bernard, in case you don’t know what an Advocate is) met with the minister and learnt some interesting things. I quote from the report done up [...]

Filed under: bullshit, consumers' rights, homebirth campaign, midwives, midwifery, surgical monopoly

~ we love homebirth ~ How will you birth after July 2010? Homebirth Awareness Year 2008 Some beautiful birth images and lovely homebirth families!

Filed under: consumers, consumers' rights, homebirth campaign, midwives, midwifery

Some blog deliciousness to get us all thinking more about the current draft legislation to outlaw homebirth midwifery in Australia. http://allthatsazz.blogspot.com/2009/06/important-message-from-your-security.html Warning warning feminist yumour ahead! Important message from your Security Minister Homebirthers may try to convince you that our actions are infringing on their human rights. This is an outrageous accusation given that half [...]

Filed under: Uncategorised, consumers, consumers' rights, homebirth campaign

Well it depends, apparently. If it’s related to abortion and contraception, women in developing nations, refuges, domestic violence, rape (only certain kinds), equity, disabilities, pron, reproductive technologies (only certain kinds) refugees, perceived minorities (only certain kinds), misogyny, footballers, maternity leave, childcare, sole parents, equal party political representation, indigenous women, depictions of women in the media, [...]

Filed under: consumers' rights, don't label me!, feminism, homebirth campaign, surgical monopoly

Holding activism lightly in the face of violence. Australian women face one of the greatest struggles for basic human rights they’ve ever faced.We have the vote, we have some semblance (lipservice) to equal pay, we can mostly put our children in childcare, rape makes it into the newspaper (insert mass disclaimers, but it IS there!), [...]

Filed under: Uncategorised, consumers, consumers' rights, homebirth campaign, surgical monopoly

In recent years as midwife-assisted homebirth has become more topical in the mainstream press, so too freebirth* or family birth, has also become more widely known. Our culture of control over women means that the shock value of women birthing autonomously is on a par with those women who chained themselves to parliament houses for [...]

Tags: freebirth
Filed under: careproviders, consumers, consumers' rights, feminism, homebirth campaign, midwives, midwifery

A shiny new blog! Welcome aboard, dear reader. Here’s hoping we can share some stories, some chat, some activism and a lot of information. Nothing like a blank page to inspire fear and creativity in equal measure. I trust the latter will prove more helpful than the former! Thanks for following me over from the [...]

Filed under: Uncategorised