Hi Abby and Philippa and all: I looked at the FFP website this morning and actually sent off an email via their contact button. I kind of melded a few of the letters that we were sending to the politicians prior to the election. I will paste it below. I don't have the credentials to write a religious letter so it has no such content, purely secular. All the best.
Dear Andrea: Since your party may now hold the balance of power in the Australian Senate I am writing to you to bring to your attention the issue of Safe, Sustainable Maternity Care and the National Maternity Action Plan (NMAP). Re: Safe, Sustainable Maternity Care and the National Maternity Action Plan (NMAP). I write to you as a concerned mother, midwife, and member of the Maternity Coalition. I support the campaign for choice and evidence based practice in maternity care for all Australian women. Safe, affordable maternity care is of major importance. Childbirth is the single most important reason for hospitalization in Australia. Australian maternity care is out of step with available evidence and the needs of women. In New Zealand, Canada, some states of the USA, and the United Kingdom, women are able to choose the care of a midwife throughout their pregnancy and birth. In the 10 years since New Zealand women were able to choose, midwifery care increased from 14% to over 70%. The relationship that is formed when midwives care for women is well documented. The World Health Organisation recognizes the midwife as the most 'appropriate' and 'cost effective' carer for healthy women. I am aware that 80-85% of Australian women are healthy and are best cared for by midwives, however, less than 1% of women can access continuous midwifery care throughout their pregnancy. Midwifery care has the potential to: ü Re-open many maternity services that have closed in recent years ü Provide much needed support to GP's and specialist Obstetricians and enable them to provide services to those with medical conditions, rather than healthy women ü Reduce Australia's over medicalisation of childbirth (particularly the unacceptable caesarean section rate of around 30%) and in the process save money. ü Help address post-natal depression that has been linked to surgical birth ü Through greater participation in healthcare and a focus on wellness promote self responsibility and address consumer litigation issues I ask you to acknowledge the wealth of evidence that proves the care of a known midwife as the most appropriate and cost effective maternity care for the majority of women. I also ask that you pursue this as an important issue and support the establishment of commonwealth funding for on-going community midwifery programs in metropolitan, regional and rural Australia to enhance current maternity care and provide a sustainable maternity services framework. Maternity Care: Choice and Equity for Australian Women I write to support Maternity Coalition's campaign seeking urgent assistance for independently practicing midwives in obtaining professional indemnity (PI) insurance. Independent midwives are now the only health practitioners in Australia without PI insurance. I believe recommendations were made by the Howard Government that states and territories pass legislation requiring all regulated health practitioners to hold (PI) insurance as a consumer safety mechanism. Every consumer deserves this safety; women that choose the care of independently practicing midwives have been denied this safety for 3 years. Over the last 3 years consumers and midwives have made representations to government seeking indemnity assistance for midwives. Refusal to provide assistance to midwives is discriminatory and anti-competitive. Private Obstetricians are afforded a 50% premium subsidy by the Federal Government and through the new Medicare reforms, are entitled to package their care and cost shift their private work onto the public purse through the Medicare safety net. Independent midwives in Australia have been unable to purchase PI insurance world-wide. Contrary to some opinion this is not because they have a poor insurance record, it is simply due to their small numbers (around 200 Australia wide), these midwives in fact have an exemplary insurance history. Midwives are able to provide the entire carriage of care for healthy pregnant women. Midwives are providing the same service as an Obstetrician or General Practitioner (when surgical intervention is not performed). In rural and remote areas midwifery care is essential to providing safe and accessible care. Many rural women contract community midwives so they can receive care within their community from a female provider. For indigenous women the situation is more extreme. The vast majority of indigenous women living in rural communities are transported to a larger centre prior to giving birth. Not all women are willing participants and many refuse to leave 'country'. Midwives are then called on to provide care for these women. Without this care indigenous women will not access antenatal care and will not receive care during birth from a registered provider. Antenatal care for indigenous women by a trusted carer has been proven to provide better outcomes (particularly to increase a baby's birth weight). Midwifery care has a social and medical component and thus provides the opportunity to address issues such as substance abuse, housing and relationship issues. Your Party has said it is committed to strengthening families. Pregnancy provides a perfect time to support parents before the birth of a child. Australia's current maternity system does not even attempt to do this. It is highly fragmented and focuses on the needs of needs of practitioners and institutions, rather than families. Further information on these policies is available at the Maternity Coalition website: www.maternitycoalition.org.au with the link to the National Maternity Action Plan at www.maternitycoalition.org.au/nmap.html . Sincerely Marilyn Kleidon, Midwife ----- Original Message ----- From: "Philippa Scott" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 6:22 PM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] FFP > Hi Abby, > Let me know if I can help you with this project. As a Christian Mum who > happily does trust her body & its design I would be most pleased to help > you. > Philippa Scott > Birth Buddies > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Abby and Toby" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Tuesday, October 12, 2004 7:27 PM > Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] FFP > > > > > christians were the backbone of the homebirth movement and I am > wondering > > if > > > this is so with the FFP and if they would support midwives and PI > > insurance, > > > NMAP etc.pondering marilyn > > > > Hi Marilyn, > > > > I have been thinking about that all day. To be honest, I don't know where > > they stand, but I think them more than any other party, could be easily > > convinced of the necessity of midwives, continuity of care, NMAP and PI. > > It is so strange how in america, as you say, the christians were the > > backbone of the homebirth movement, but here I have met hardly any > christian > > women that trust in the design of their birthing bodies..........maybe > that > > will soon change. > > I am working on getting together a letter to send to Family First. I know > > there are some wonderful scriptures that support natural birth, midwifery > > and breastfeeding so I am on a mission so to speak!lol! > > I think, if approached from the right angle, honestly and biblically, that > > they would see the reality and the need. > > I noticed on their website that they are interested in mental health > issues > > and I really want to work with that. We all know what a difference it > would > > make to mums and their children, then society, if birth was bought back to > > its natural elements and if mothers had the care and support that they > > deserve. Just like that saying, "gentle birth for a peaceful earth" > > Could go on and on.............I didn't know how I felt about them at > first, > > still don't really, but what I do know is that I can speak their language > > more so than any other party, if that makes sense. They look pretty > > conservative though........don't know how they'd react to a dreadlocked, > > pierced, birth activist! We'll see........lots of young christians are > > breaking out of the stereotypes and AOG churches usually have thriving > youth > > groups. > > A woman on another list, (Janet are you on here?) has written to them to > ask > > where they stand with midwifery so I'll let you know their response. > > wrote to another list earlier that good or bad, for midwifery and birth, > I > > think it could be quite positive. > > > > Love Abby > > > > -- > > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
