RANZCOG - the need to support Midwifery- Led Care - give women informed choice!

It is the 21st century and whenever we discuss midwifery, nursing and medicine it is usually in relation to evidenced based practice - the latest research - how to move forward within the professions looking at the research. I do find it ironic that when Obstetricians have good evidence to show that homebirths have a place in Maternity Care they fail to acknowledge this.

I came across this site called 6 minutes.com.au - and there was an article written by Michael Woodhead - click on the link to find the full article.

Doctors 'in denial' about safe home births The medical profession has been accused of encouraging the trend for dangerous unattended ‘freebirths’ by failing to support safe homebirths.

Obstetricians and state bureaucracies are reluctant to acknowledge that there is good evidence to support the safety of planned attended homebirths for low risk women, says a public health researcher and member of the Australian Maternity Coalition.

.... in this month’s Australia and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (48: 450-52) she says the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology opposes home birth, even though the balance of evidence shows that planned home births for low risk women have no greater mortality or morbidity than hospital births if attended by a qualified health professional.

This is a tragedy for women and midwives: why are obstetricians so opposed to midwifery led care? in the face of good evidence. One has to ask, what is the point of research if we do not use it?
In recent years there appears to have been an increase in popularity in freebirth, I wonder why?

The professions need to be working in collaboration with each other, respecting the knowledge, skills and ability to care for women and refer to obstetricians when we need to. Let midwives look after low risk women, that is what we do best.