Birth
Birth rights
John van Tiggelen In many countries, home births are commonplace - and generally regarded as safe. So why in Australia, where such births are rare, is the Government discouraging the practice? John van Tiggelen...
Baby steps as hospitals deliver a helping hand to home-birth push
John Elder Midwives working away from labour wards are to be covered by insurance under a pilot scheme, writes John Elder.
Birth: a woman's right to decide?
Justine Caines The maternity reforms had the ability to place women as the focus of care, rather than the current practice of meeting the needs of organisations and practitioners first.
Your birth choices
The following information is designed to assist you with making choices about the type of care you would like throughout your pregnancy, and how you would like to give birth to your baby.
Midwife home birth as safe as hospital, says study
Louise Hall Home birth assisted by a trained midwife is just as safe for low-risk mothers and their babies as a delivery led by a midwife in hospital, a study of more than half a million women has found.
Using acupuncture to prepare for birth
Rebecca Mar Young Acupuncturist Rebecca Mar Young, who focuses on pregnancy, explains how acupuncture can help you prepare for birth.
Giving birth by the stars
Andrew Bock Children with different star signs have different needs and some may be more difficult to raise than others, says astrologer Sherrynne Dalby.
Midwifery reborn in birth review
Julie Robotham Midwives would be allowed to prescribe medicines and their services could, for the first time, attract a Medicare rebate under reforms to maternity provisions proposed in a national review of birth...
Care for children begins before birth
Julie Robotham Regular assessments to ensure the health of children would begin before birth and continue until age eight, under a proposal to create the first national program for early childhood health.
Private birth has benefits for babies
Louise Hall Babies born to women in private hospitals are less likely to need resuscitation at birth or admission to intensive care than those born in a public hospital, a national study has found.
Fears for mothers as hospitals up the ante for birth classes
Natasha Wallace The cost of antenatal classes should be means-tested and made uniform across all hospitals, according to the Australian College of Midwives.
Orgasmic birth an old midwives' tale
Avril Moore Hippie claptrap aside, childbirth is far more agony than ecstasy says Avril Moore.
Home birth program that delivers
Kate Benson It took Bailey Mannion only 75 minutes to slip calmly into the world, amid the comforts of his own loungeroom, unaware he was quietly making history.
Designing principles at birth of a new era
Advances in gene technology are creating a host of ethical dilemmas, writes Rachel Browne. Genetic screening of human embryos may eventually eradicate inherited diseases ranging from breast cancer to...
Multiple Birth Resources
Books, websites and EB articles to guide you through the life-giving process of multiple births.
Why would anyone free-birth?
Mia Freedman When it comes to giving birth, Mia Freedman is frustrated by women who treat the medical profession as the enemy.
Deprogramming birth
Anni Taylor A few hours after having my first baby, I rang my mother to ask, “How did you do THAT seven times?” But deep within, I sensed that birth didn’t have to be this traumatic.
Your birth plan
These days you and your partner can play a far more active role in your pregnancy, labour and birth.
Labour and birth, a man's role
Chances are, you are going to be the birth partner when your partner gives birth. Although you don't have to go through the physical strain of having the baby, your support role is just as important.
'Father' to go from birth certificate
Heath Gilmore A controversial new bill that will remove the word "father" from birth certificates to recognise lesbian couples who have children through IVF will be put before NSW Parliament.
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