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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 6/28/2009
Posts: 77
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A letter of complaint of mine was sent to Parliament today ( via a voter gram organised by Lucy Perry from find-a-doula) ...I am really cringing..I was in a very bad mood when I wrote it, and I have already had a reply from a politician.... had my husband teasing mercilessly about the opening sentence..... why oh why didnt I sleep on it before I sent it...... lol
Wake up and smell the coffee Ms Roxon…"Homebirth is every woman’s right" and IT WILL continue with or without a qualified midwife.
EVERY woman (apart from you it seems) is horrified by this proposal, even those that have had elective caesareans acknowledge that Australian women have the right to birth safely at home, if they choose to!!
By illegalising home birthing midwives you are not eradicating home birth, but simply ensuring that women will birth at home, alone, in private with out a qualified professional. This is not progressive healthcare, its an absurdity and an eradication of women’s rights that will result in the loss of many female voters.
Lisa Chalmers
Perth WA 6030
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Rank: Newbie
Joined: 7/6/2009
Posts: 7
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Actually, I think it is a very good email. you should be proud of it.
It is honest, straight to the point, and full of emotion.
I'd say it's a good one.
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 6/28/2009
Posts: 77
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Thanks....I just can't quite read past the first sentence! My face gets all hot lol!! It did the trick anyway, I have had a reply or 2
x x x
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 6/28/2009
Posts: 57
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That sounds perfectly fine to me! Its not like they dont talk to each other like that in parliment :) I think its awesome Lisa :) Straight to the point and emotional. Its what gets attention. Amanda
Mummy to Sage - 2 years - C-Section Delivery
Planning a Home BIRTH - Due in Autumn 2010!
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 6/28/2009
Posts: 77
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Thats what my husband said...said I should have called a "mongrel!"
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Rank: Advanced Member  Joined: 6/16/2009 Posts: 87 Location: Perth, WA
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Definitely one from the heart but too tame for parliament - they speak to each other much worse than that! Mumma to 3 girls:
AJ (04) - public hospital
GP (07) - private hospital
SB (09) - homebirthed
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Rank: Advanced Member  Joined: 6/15/2009 Posts: 250
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Ok, so the first line is a tad cheesey, but it sure delivers the message!! And if it's getting a response, hoorah!  Mummy to Connor (07/07) birthed in hospital - my "Inspiration" baby, and Oliver (02/09) Birthed Peacefully at home in water - my "Best poo ever"
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 6/28/2009
Posts: 77
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Well, I have been contacted by 2 poli's so far...
Hi Lisa
Thank you for your e-mail.
Senator Rachel Siewert is the Australian Greens Health spokesperson. She
is a member of the Senate Committee that has been inquiring into the
Government Bill that will introduce the changes to birthing practices
and has been consulting widely with stakeholders on the issue. As a
consequence, she is committed to proposing amendments to the legislation
that will preserve and protect the current role of midwifes in the
health care system.
Regards
John Dodd
Office of Senator Bob Brown and my reply..
Thank you so much for replying.
It is specifically Independent Midwives that we are concerned with though.
Can you confirm that that particular profession is part of the suggested
amendments? I attended the stakeholders meeting in Perth and when this issue
was raised we were simply told it was being addressed.
We are hoping that common sense wins on this issue.
Many Thanks.
Lisa Chalmers
and then today.... I I am sleeping on this one tho and will reply tomorrow...have learnt my lesson!
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for your email. I am a supporter of home birth.
Just to let you know I met yesterday with the Community Midwifery Program of WA about the new legislation. There are great opportunities for Midwives and home birth in the new legislation – because midwives will be recognised as independent professionals and be eligible for their own Medicare provider number.
The real problem is not that not all midwives doing home births have access to a suitable insurance product. The legislation does not make home birth illegal. Programs like Community Midwifery WA will not be affected because they have insurance through KEMH.
Programs like the community midwifery program which supports home birth will have a chance to grow and have new opportunities created for them.
I will be contacting Minister Roxon to see what solutions might be available for midwives who do not have access to an insurance product and are therefore not eligible for registration.
Warm regards,
Louise
Senator Louise Pratt
Electorate Office:
81 Bennett St (Cnr Wellington ST)
East Perth
Phone: (08) 9225 4411
Fax: (08) 9225 7677
Postal Address
PO Box 6120
East Perth WA 6892
Toll Free : 1300 301 874
Parliament Contact:
Phone: (02) 6277 3127
Fax: (02) 6277 5789
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 6/28/2009
Posts: 77
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Hi Louise,
Thank you so much for replying to me.
After watching the very uninformed opinions of the panel on ABC last night, I am feeling very frustrated by the lack of support for women, educated women, that chose to homebirth with a midwife.
I work with the Community Midwifery programme, and in fact had a baby with them myself, and as I am sure they would have explained to you yesterday, the CMP has quite a strict criteria (hospital governed) as to which women they can take and many women are actually unable to get a place on the programme because it is full. Thankfully, these informed women can currently choose to birth at home with an independent midwife.
There is a sense of apathy in Perth, because we have this wonderful resource, but it has its limitations and WA is a huge state with Independent midwives working in all sorts of places, Kalgoorlie etc.
I am heartened by the fact that you support homebirth and have taken time to meet with Linda Rawlings and Debbie Slater, both extremely informed and balanced women, and I feel strongly that THESE are the women that we should be hearing, not the biased misinformed clap trap that was shown on the TV last night.
I would be so grateful if you could keep me informed, many women are midwives and are about to lose their livelihood, I have not heard that acknowledged once, the situation is clearly much worse than we realised as Nicola Roxon made it clear last night that she has absolutely no intention of reviewing the legislation, at this point...why cant they just leave things as they are for midwives until something is resolved? Obstetricians and Hospitals get sued all the time, you rarely hear of Independent midwives getting sued. It genuinely makes no sense to me at all.
Many thanks
Lisa Chalmers
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 6/16/2009 Posts: 87 Location: Perth, WA
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great reply lisa Mumma to 3 girls:
AJ (04) - public hospital
GP (07) - private hospital
SB (09) - homebirthed
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Rank: Advanced Member
Joined: 6/28/2009
Posts: 57
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Fabulous emails Lisa :) Keep us update with any more replies please :) Amanda
Mummy to Sage - 2 years - C-Section Delivery
Planning a Home BIRTH - Due in Autumn 2010!
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Rank: Advanced Member Joined: 6/15/2009 Posts: 250
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Great reply Lisa!! Mummy to Connor (07/07) birthed in hospital - my "Inspiration" baby, and Oliver (02/09) Birthed Peacefully at home in water - my "Best poo ever"
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Rank: Newbie
Joined: 6/28/2009
Posts: 9
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I wish I could send these people a copy of Safer Childbirth? by Marjorie Tew (great forward by Sheila Kitzinger), and had I thought they'd even read it as a submission, I probably would have!
It outlines all our reasons for homebirth being not only safe in most cases, but safer at home than in hospital. Even with complications presenting.
The irony is that the book is over 10 years old, written about the UK context about maternity reviews that happened in the 80's. Measures were adopted according to recommendations in the UK by the mid-90's. Clearly, they responded to best practice. What makes Australian women so incapable of having unmedicalised births? Nothing based on evidence, and lots based on fear of the AMA on behalf of the pollies.
So, there, my submission was quite emotive, too! You're not alone, your emails have been great, and far more effective than mine, obviously, because I've only had one polly reply - good for you!
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Rank: Newbie
Joined: 7/23/2009
Posts: 5
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Lisa I loved reading your subsequent emails but your right about feeling the cringe after sending the first one. If only we could edit emails we've already sent.
Guys, it doesn't matter how passionate and appalled we are about this fiasco we have to learn how to work the system. Otherwise we're seen and treated as insignificant radicals. It wasn't an arbitrary word when she spoke of homebirth being the wish of an insignificant number of women.
The good thing about this legislation is that it's galvanised a lot of people. For me it's kicked me up the arse and shown me a direction I want to take in my involvement with homebirth.
I realised the importance of understanding politics. That's what it all comes down to. Politics and influencing public opinion.
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