Birth choices
5 September, 2010
A still from the film
By Arabella Davison
On Friday the Theatre Royal in Castlemaine hosted the screening of Labouring Under an Illusion, a documentary looking at the media’s often bizarre and sensationalised portrayal of birthing. Attended by around 60 people, including local health professionals, the event raised over $2000 in support of local private midwife Sally McCrae.
Castlemaine has one of the highest rates of home birth in Australia. Marion Yates spoke of her family’s powerful experience with Sally McCrae attending the birth of their second child at home in Castlemaine.
‘This holistic model of care which is possible through Independent Midwifery and exemplified by Sally McCrae, is one that we could be learning from as a society,’ Marion said.
‘It serves as an example for other health care providers of the value of “striving” to make a genuine heart-to-heart connection between a practitioner and client. The potential health benefits of this model of care to us as individuals as well as a community are boundless.’
While women can still choose to homebirth, recent changes to federal laws place greater restrictions on women and private midwifery care.
Current choices for birthing in Mt Alexander Shire include private midwifery care in the home, or GP/Ob-led care through the Mt Alexander Hospital in Castlemaine.
For more on Laboring Under an Illusion, and to order the DVD, click here
