I am posting this submission to the Maternity Services Review on behalf of mummadoula, who is a doula, founder of the Coffs Coast Maternity Group, Bellingen Baby ( a pre and post natal support group) and homeopath. I humbly thank mummadoula for sharing her submission with us.

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Federal review into Maternity Services
Submission written by Mieke Elzer

Executive Summary

Introduction
Here is a little about me, my business and my motivation for wanting to contribute to this process of review.

Doula’s
Following a successful four year pilot program in Chicago for community doula, America has, this year funded community doula programs country wide. So what is a doula, what are the benefits and how can we implement community doulas in Australia.

The Indigenous Solution
A fresh perspective on the issue of ‘Closing the Gap’.

Other idea’s
From getting rid of soft drink dispensers in our public health waiting rooms to increasing the number of placements available to study the Bachelor of Direct Entry Midwifery. Implementing Case load midwifery to publicly funded homebirth. Even how a bath tub can mean the difference between a natural birth and unnecessary caesarean. I have loads of ideas!

Introduction

My name is Mieke. I live in Gleniffer which is a short drive from the inner coastal town of Bellingen on the Mid North Coast, traditional land of the Gumbaynggirri Nation. Me and my husband Emanuel, live with our four children aged 8, 5, 3 and 2. My eldest child was born after the traumatic suicide of her biological father. I know first hand the current maternity health system in this country. From the vibrant successes to the tragic failings. All of my births have been positive experiences with no medical intervention. Three of my children were born at home with the assistance of a lay midwife and one of my children was born in a city birthing centre (due to the exuberant cost of homebirth in our cities). I have always had a passion for life. This translated into my calling to do work in the area of healing and birth. I first completed a diploma of Homoeopathy before I went on to study to become a doula. In 2003 I founded the Coffs Coast Maternity Group which successfully campaigned for a midwifery led pregnancy care clinic at Coffs Harbour Health Campus. I also coordinate the much loved pre and post natal support group, Bellingen Baby (see appendix for more information). I own and operate a business, ‘Love to Birth’. The business provides; Doula packages, professional bellycasting, birthsong singing groups, preconception and postnatal advisory services and homoeopathic consultation. For more information please visit my website http://www.lovetobirth.com.au

The discussion paper outlines that “Australia is one of the safest countries in the world in which to give birth or be born”. Sadly, safety seems to be indicated solely by the decline in maternal and neonatal deaths. Furthermore these decreases are not shared by all Australians. “Most notably, risk factors and health outcomes for rural and Indigenous women and babies are considerably poorer”. The review goes on to say that the rates of intervention during birth in particular caesarian are outside world health organization recommended guidelines, breastfeeding rates are lagging with less than 1 in 5 women still breastfeeding past 6 months, antenatal and postnatal depression rates alarm with an estimated 40,000 women being affected annually and social and emotional responses to pregnancy and birth are a key challenge with women only having variable access to support services especially following miscarriage and stillbirth. Clearly Australia’s safety standards are not inclusive of the wider spectrum of social, emotional and spiritual health and wellbeing.

I am motivated to contribute to this process of creating a better maternity health system because I believe that the quality of a person’s birth directly impacts on the quality of their life. It is also a very pivotal experience for the mother and father and can influence the way in which they go on to parent. Providing the necessary support to mothers and family’s during this time has the potential to heal our past and pave a path to a future that is built on trust, respect and love. I believe that the repercussions of this shift will mean better health and wellbeing for individuals and society on a whole, which makes good economic sense!! I believe that I have some very constructive idea’s to enhance the Maternity Service System in this country and would love to be involved in any further consultation. And yes, I am a “late at night - typing mummy”, as my 5 year old son so eloquently put it. This submission was typed between the hours of 10pm and midnight while my children were safely tucked into sleep!