ACT women have been hoping and lobbying for a publicly-funded birth at home maternity healthcare service. Over 800 ACT residents signed a petition for the right to publicly funded birth at home and as a result a trial homebirth program looked likely to launch by the end of 2015. Unfortunately, the process appears to have slowed to a halt and Publicly-Funded Birth at Home ACT is concerned that what women in the ACT want for safe birth is being overlooked. It's time to remind ACT politicians that we need and want the option to birth at home in the ACT public system. The following is a reminder that birth at home is proved safe by medical evidence, that it has the potential to decrease the public health burden and that the ACT is lagging behind the rest of Australia in providing this service.

Birthing at home with a qualified midwife has been proven to be a safe option for women and babies in those women who have had an uncomplicated pregnancy. Women who birth at home often report greater satisfaction with their birth experience, they have higher rates of normal vaginal birth, are more likely to have an intact perineum, and have increased rates of successful breastfeeding, than those who birth in hospital. Meanwhile they have very low rates of perinatal mortality and morbidity, comparable with those giving birth in hospital. Moreover, studies show that rates of intervention are significantly lowered, including induction, augmentation, episiotomy, third degree tears, assisted vaginal birth, caesarean, postpartum haemorrhage, and maternal morbidity.

Birthing at home care is provided in a continuity model of care, whereby a small team of midwives care for a woman and her family. These models have been shown to be the gold standard for maternity care, again with increased normal, healthy birth outcomes, increased rates of breastfeeding, and women reporting increased satisfaction with their birth experiences and care. Meanwhile, the public health burden is reduced. The average cost of caring for a woman having her first baby (in hospital) through a midwifery group practice in Australia is $3903. When compared with the average cost of standard hospital care ($5494), it goes without saying that birthing at home would provide an even greater reduction in the cost of delivering public health services.

Publicly funded services for women who choose to birth at home are provided in collaboration with maternity hospitals to provide further obstetric back up, should the need arise. Women in the ACT have access to two excellent, fully-equipped hospitals within close proximity of most homes.

The provision of publicly funded birth at home services in the ACT would bring maternity health care in the ACT into line with all other states and territories in Australia (with the exception of Queensland and Tasmania), who are already offering this service.

The Australian College of Midwives “supports the choice of midwife-attended homebirth as a safe option for women with uncomplicated pregnancies”. One of the College’s key principles is that “women have a right to decide where they wish to give birth to their baby”.

Please join us in calling for women in the ACT to enjoy the same right to birth their babies at home with qualified support that other women in Australia enjoy.

For references and more information please refer to our Facebook page: Publicly-Funded Birth at Home ACT