New legislation proposed by the Federal Government requires all health professionals to have indemnity insurance. At present, private midwives do not have access to indemnity insurance, but the legislation allows for them to if they are working in collaboration with a GP or obstetrician, and performing deliveries only in approved clinical settings.

In effect, this means that from July 2010 midwives will no longer be able to assist in homebirths as they cannot practice without insurance - and they will not be able to get insurance if they operate outside a clinic or hospital.

Homebirth advocacy groups claim that this will endanger the health of women and their children should they choose to have a homebirth.

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I believe that those that chose homebirths are not giving their child the best chance possible to enter this world. Both of my children would probably be statisics if we chose a home birth, the second we were warned of a possible complication but not the first.
Choosing to have children is chosing to do everything possible to give those children the best chance in life. It should not be about making statements or pushing agendas. Children should not be instruments for your views.
Choose the best medical care, Choose a natural childbirth in hospital (if you can),choose to breastfeed (if you can), choose to immunise and choose to stay at home to bring up your children (if you can). Once you have made these life or death decisions; choose religion or not, private or public school, cadets or scouts.
If people made the responsible choice of having their children in a facility that can cater for the many possible mishaps of childbirth, there would be no need for midwives to be able to obtain insurance for homebirths.
If midwives were able to get the insurance, their fees would be so high that most would then revert to the local hospital anyway.
Pehaps a controversial standpoint but it is one that I am entitiled to.