For the past few months I have been hearing reports of an increasingly totalitarian approach to Homebirth in Australia.

One of the blessings of the web is that I have been able to make friends all over the world with those who share my lifestyle.  From Veronika in the UK to Leilah in Canada to Sarah in Australia, these sisters who also live the Primal Mothering Life have been a source of inspiration and pure friendship as I have worked as a birth activist all of these years.

I have several friends on Facebook who live in Australia and I have been extremely alarmed  by the stories that I have been hearing from them about what is going on.

Mothers are mobilizing.  Several protests have already taken place, few have been covered by the Media, and the Politicians and AMA are stomping down hard on Homebirth in that great country.

The other day I emailed my friend Kym and asked if she would help partner in writing some articles for the internet that would help share the story of what has been happening and how the Mothers of Australia are taking to the streets to protest.

A huge nationwide Protest is being organized for next week

This is the email I had from Kym yesterday:

“I am willing to help anyway I can. I really appreciate that you want to get involved, we need that support and its much appreciated. It seems at the moment that the media are not picking up this issue much at all. At least, not in Victoria or too much in the mainstream media. I wonder if its the AMA keeping them quiet. I find it hard to believe more women/ people are not shocked about this or do they not realise how important this is? I agree this is a dangerous way of controlling women and controlling birth. I can see it will start with “standardising”/controlling homebirth then lead to making it a nightmare for freebirthers (some who have no other real choice) and then making hospital birth even more risky, because who keeps them honest?

At the moment it looks like there will be quite a few rallies happening next Thursday (18th) around Australia. We will be attending in Ballarat where Kevin Rudd PM will be attending. This is personally my 4th protest rally and they are all on this one issue. We have travelled and made our opinion known yet we are mostly ignored. It is very frustrating to say the least.
The AMA president Andrew Pesce is not particularly intelligent as he has no idea how to read studies or understand evidence based theories. He wants the public to believe that homebirth is dangerous and deadly. He turned an inconclusive study into his argument. I can get this information together if you like.

All the best
Kym”

Kym has contacted several homebirthing mothers who are also planning to attend the protests.  She has sent along my request for video, photos, signs, quotes, radio interviews, and information about this issue.  I plan to write a series of articles to be posted on this blog and around the web at various locations to help shine the light of day on Birth Tyranny down under in Aussieland.

I am absolutely revolted that a pathetic attempt to control all aspects of childbirth is being played out in our modern world.  And will do whatever is in my power to help these families retain their rights to holistic childbirth.

Jenny Hatch

PS You PharmaWhores who call yourselves journalists in Australia better cover that protest, and you better cover it well, or you will have ZERO credibility with the people.