I am hoping to have a baby in 2017 and am devastated that I won't have the option to have a private midwife to attend my home birth, like I did for two of my other children. It will leave me with little option other than to birth alone at home.

I am fortunate to be a Registered Midwife practicing in Ontario Canada where families are allowed safe home births and where I have insurance coverage. I believe all midwives and all birthing families all over the world deserve this safe care.

If professional midwives are registered and eligible to work in a hospital then the govt. should support their professional decisions in a private context too. It will be a shameful disgrace if Australia fails to support women to birth at home

Research shows that for low risk pregnancies, home births supported by midwives are very safe and result in fewer unnecessary surgical interventions that are costly both to the woman in terms of her wellbeing and to the health system financially.

Six years since 2000 of us gathered in Canberra in protest we are still dealing with this issue! Women are having to question if they would birth at home without a midwife or are putting off getting pregnant altogether. We need a solution now!!!

Private midwives provide a much needed and wanted service to Pregnant and birthing women. Having home birthed 3 of my 4 children I strongly believe and encourage Government bodies to allow midwives to be able to apply and receive PI insurance.

Nina Poelsma

Society is turning the wrong way with high intervention births- the education isn’t there that it can be safe and in fact much, much better in many ways for birthing mothers to have babies ta home. I was blessed to have access to this knowledge and had my four babies at home. I feel passionate that new mothers need to know this is a safe option that can be better for mothers and babies.

Amanda Macey

Midwife led continuity of care leads to the best outcomes for woman, we should have more access not less