Women and people want choice, and we are a few of the countless women in Ireland who feel the urgent need for more birthing options. As it stands, pregnant women in Ireland have three main choices: a hospital birth, which is often heavily medicalised; a home birth, which is only available to a small percentage of very low-risk pregnancies often based on a postcode lottery, or a freebirth where women birth without any medical professionals. These limited options do not reflect the diverse needs and preferences of expectant mothers across the country.

Our national maternity strategy claims to support diverse and personalised care, yet Irish women cannot access birth centres, which are a common option in many other countries. Birth centres offer a balance: they provide a safe, medically supported environment while prioritising physiological birth processes, offering a middle ground between hospital and home births.

International research has shown birth centres offer high satisfaction levels among mothers, lower intervention rates, and positive health outcomes for both mothers and babies. According to a study published by the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group, midwifery-led birthing centres reduce the need for medical intervention and increase the chances of a spontaneous vaginal birth, while ensuring the availability of emergency care if required.

With the inclusion of birth centres in our national strategy, we could enhance maternal care in Ireland, reduce the strain on our hospital system, and empower women by giving them the freedom to choose their birth environment. Italy, the United States, and Australia, among others, successfully incorporate birth centres into their maternity care models. It's time Ireland follows suit.

We urge the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, and the Health Service Executive (HSE) to facilitate the establishment of birth centres around the country, specifically by adopting and integrating them into the National Maternity Strategy's development plans. This change will demonstrate Ireland’s commitment to empowering women and people by respecting their right to choose how and where they give birth.

What is a birth centre you might ask?

A birth centre is a health care facility for childbirth where care is provided in the midwifery and wellness model, some might say a more homely environment.

Birth centers are an integrated part of the health care system and are guided by principles of prevention, sensitivity, safety, appropriate medical intervention and cost-effectiveness. While the practice of midwifery and the support of physiologic birth and newborn transition may occur in other settings, this is a publicly funded centre to support women and peoples choice for a less intervention heavy option.

Please sign this petition to push for more birthing choices for women in Ireland, and to demand that birth centres are included in our healthcare system. Together, we can create a better, more inclusive future for women's maternity care in our country.