In a nicely Orwellian turn of phrase where we’re assured that our choices are being expanded, the government deigned to share some of their maternity “care” plans with us. Finally. The AMA’s choices are sure being expanded but those of birthing women have been reduced to “When? How high?”. Luckily for me, Lisa Barrett has [...]

Tags: birth in Australia, human rights, reproductive freedom
Filed under: bullshit, consumers' rights, feminism, homebirth, homebirth campaign, reproductive justice, surgical monopoly

Weep as you read about VBAC in the US (and not too far off what it’s like here) Childbirth without choice It would seem perfectly natural that a woman could give birth naturally if she wants to. Guess what? She can’t. An increasing number of hospitals in this country are refusing to offer women the [...]

Tags: breastfeeding, land of the free home of the surgically incapacitated, more humourless feminism, vbac
Filed under: consumers, consumers' rights, just for fun, reproductive justice, surgical monopoly

Via the ever marvellous Feminist Law Professors. As personhood of the foetus is foisted on Australian women via the backdoor of homebirth legislation, we should be paying attention to this. Legal Regulation of Pregnancy and Childbirth Courtney G. Joslin University of California, Davis – School of Law The Child: An Encyclopedic Companion, University of Chicago [...]

Tags: feminist law professors, human rights, obstetric monopoly, personhood of the foetus, reproductive freedom
Filed under: consumers' rights, feminism, reproductive justice, surgical discourse, surgical monopoly

I’m in danger of becoming a groupie. I was already wildly grateful for her work but after a morning of reading about pole dancing being a sport, how Australia lacks women in parliament, and how women aren’t too fussed by the unspeakable misogyny of Tony Abbott (and neither are men), it was such a relief [...]

Tags: caesarean, feminism, henci goer, homebirth after previous caesarean, misinformation campaign, obstetric monopoly, reproductive freedom
Filed under: consumers, consumers' rights, feminism, surgical discourse, surgical monopoly

Not content with wheeling out the already discredited Pang and Bastian “studies”, the AMA has now wheeled out a synopsis for a study of homebirth that rather misses the points of the information they actually found in the study. Check out Lisa Barrett’s blog and Hoyden About Town for a full breakdown. I also look [...]

Tags: lies we tell to women, misinformation campaign
Filed under: bullshit, consumers' rights, homebirth, surgical discourse, surgical monopoly

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

Those not from around here might need a little explanation about this post. The dude in the suit peering at the baby he’s imprisoned in a plastic box, away from it’s mother, is Dr Andrew Pesce, current head of the AMA. I heard a rumour he’s a docbot or was that a godbot? Either way, [...]

Tags: obstetric monopoly, pesky pesce
Filed under: consumers' rights, homebirth campaign, surgical monopoly

Please share what you’re reading and writing, I love to have new material for eager readers and learn from all the many groovy blogs out there on the interwebz. Ilithyia Inspired brings us news of the latest piece of obstetric bullshit to hit the airwaves. iBirth? iPhone As The Latest Obstetric Intervention Memorial Hermann Healthcare [...]

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

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

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