Madam, – I am alarmed at the extreme views expressed in Marie O’Connor’s letter (December 28th) concerning the role of midwives attending women who choose to have their babies at home.
Women are entitled to a safe, respectful and comfortable delivery for themselves and their babies. If these views were implemented a number of consequences would follow for home birthing women and their babies. 1. Home birth midwives would practise complete clinical autonomy. 2. Home birth midwives would be totally self regulating. 3. Women and babies would be left without the protection of insurance in the event of negligent care.
Have we not moved on from the days of Michael Neary when practitioners claimed the right to practice completely autonomously and professions claimed the right of total self regulation?
These views need to be challenged in the interests both of the women who want to, and have a right to give birth to their babies safely at home, as well as the excellent home birth midwives who support them. – Yours, etc,