Updated list-in-progress here. Shamed but not named: bad medics use law to hide their identities Paying for negligence: Birth bungles cost $115m in NSW alone Hypervirulent strain of Clostridium difficile in Epworth Hospital in Richmond Melbourne Scared nurses’ secret evidence of intimidation No room at the hospital for sick toddler Hospital blunder turns into family [...]

Tags: caesarean risks, hospital risks, maternal mortality
Filed under: careproviders, consumers, consumers' rights, surgical discourse, surgical monopoly

One of the big things the government keeps banging on about in its anti-homebirth drive is “collaboration”. You might think that the existing situation – woman hires midwife, woman and midwife seek obstetric surgeon or hospital in the unlikely event of need, often midwives have relationships built up with hospitals or surgeons so that’s not [...]

Filed under: bullshit, careproviders, consumers' rights, homebirth campaign, reproductive justice, surgical monopoly

The “quality and safety framework” has been released. My response looks like this: Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com The real birth wars

Tags: commentary that bites, homebirth science not obstetric superstition, human rights, misinformation campaign, obstetric monopoly, personhood of the foetus, pesky pesce, reproductive freedom
Filed under: bullshit, careproviders, consumers, consumers' rights, homebirth campaign, midwives, midwifery, reproductive justice, surgical discourse, surgical monopoly

You are a midwife, assisting at someone else’s birth. Do good without show or fuss. Facilitate what is happening rather than what you think ought to be happening. If you must take the lead, lead so that the mother is helped, yet still free and in charge. When the baby is born, the mother will [...]

Tags: birth attendants, homebirth, human rights, international midwives' day, reproductive freedom
Filed under: careproviders, homebirth campaign, midwives, midwifery, reproductive justice

While under no illusions whatsoever that submitting anything  for consumers has anything to do with the process to dismantle homebirth, I still have to do it. We are still here, and we’re not going anywhere. This week’s treat is the new “framework” for “eligible” midwives even though as yet there’s no information on what exactly [...]

Filed under: Uncategorised, careproviders, consumers, consumers' rights, feminism, homebirth, homebirth campaign, midwives, midwifery, reproductive justice

So I was idly looking over the admirable Science and Sensibility blog and in the categories I saw, “systematic review”. Two words calculated to stir the breast of the homebirth advocate. So just because I can, I’m sharing that very link. systematic review Enjoy! I did! Science and Sensibility: systematic review

Tags: homebirth, homebirth science not obstetric superstition, jane austen
Filed under: careproviders, consumers' rights, midwives, midwifery

The Risks of Cesarean Section A Coalition for Improving Maternity Services Fact Sheet © 2010 Coalition for Improving Maternity Services. Permission granted to freely reproduce with attribution. 1500 Sunday Dr Ste 102, Raleigh, NC 27607 | Tel: 919-863-9482 | www.motherfriendly.org Cesarean section is the most common major surgical procedure performed in the United States. The [...]

Tags: caesarean, commentary that bites, homebirth after previous caesarean, human rights, lies we tell to women, misinformation campaign
Filed under: careproviders, consumers, consumers' rights, homebirth, midwives, midwifery, reproductive justice

What are you reading and writing? Here’s a few of the things I’ve found to be good reads lately. Breastfeeding children and women a “low priority” – Western Australian parliament Remember the protests in Perth last year about Premier Barnett’s party failing to bring WA into line with the rest of Australia with laws protecting [...]

Tags: breastfeeding, human rights, reproductive freedom
Filed under: Uncategorised, careproviders, consumers, consumers' rights, don't label me!, feminism

About 4% of babies are in breech positions at term. Of course nowadays the normal course of events is surgery. Is this safe? Realistic? Warranted? Not according to evidence, no. “Attending births is like growing roses. You have to marvel at the ones that just open up and bloom at the first kiss of the [...]

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

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