Series Two: Risk Factors in Childbirth and Who Defines Risk?

This series topic was borne from the recent happenings in the world of homebirth in Australia around Professional Indemnity Insurance for Privately Practicing Midwives and the potential parameters that they will have to practice within. 

Advocacy efforts are underway to ensure that women can continue to choose where and with whom they give birth and that midwives can continue to support them. Homebirth Australia (HBA) are asking people to write to their MPs informing them of how the proposed insurance will impact them personally. Please refer to HBA Instagram for more information: www.instagram.com/homebirth_australia

Episode One: Exploring the concept of risk with Kristyn Begnell from Homebirth Australia

In this episode Jo and Jerusha chat with Kristyn Begnell from Homebirth Australia. They explore the concept of risk, who gets to define it and how this potentially violates human rights and ethical practice guidelines.

Kristyn is a mother of two young girls, living on Darug and Gundungurra country in the Blue Mountains of NSW. After researching different models of care, Kristyn planned a homebirth with a privately practising midwife (PPM) for her first child but transferred to hospital at 37 weeks due to medical complications unrelated to pregnancy. She describes her birth experience in a public hospital as traumatic.

Kristyn saw the same midwife during her second and third pregnancies and had a successful homebirth after caesarean in 2018. This experience propelled her into maternity advocacy, particularly homebirth advocacy, when she became a consumer representative for her local publicly funded homebirth program and joined Homebirth NSW (then Homebirth Access Sydney) in 2018.

She has since been a consumer representative for the Australian College of Midwives, the Bureau of Health Information, the NSW Ministry of Health, The Agency of Clinical Innovation, the LEAPP Guidelines, her local health district and has been the National Convenor of Homebirth Australia since 2021. Kristyn testified at the recent NSW Birth Trauma Inquiry both as a consumer and as a representative of Homebirth Australia.

Links

Homebirth Australia
Instagram: www.instagram.com/homebirth_australia
Facebook: www.facebook.com/homebirthaustralia

Birth Time
Website: www.birthtime.world
Instagram: www.instagram.com/birthtimeworld
Facebook: www.facebook.com/birthtimeworld  

Jerusha
Website: www.jerusha.com.au
Instagram: www.instagram.com/jerushasutton
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jerushasuttonphotography

Jo
Website: www.midwifejo.com.au
Instagram: www.instagram.com/midwifejohunter
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MidwifeJo

BIRTH TIME GIFT CARD: www.birthtime.world/watch-now
THE HANDBOOK: www.birthtime.world/the-handbook
MERCH: www.birthtime.world/shop

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