Rights

• The pregnant woman has the right to choose her place of birth.

• The pregnant woman has the right to choose her birth practitioner and to be fully informed of her practitioner’s qualifications and experience.

• The pregnant woman has the right to choose who will be present at her birth and the right to refuse entry or ask someone to leave her place of birth.

• The pregnant woman has the right of access  to literature and information about birth and particularly homebirth.

• The pregnant woman has the right to know her practitioner’s methods and techniques of birth.

• The pregnant woman has the right to know the approximate costs, which will be incurred under her practitioner’s care.

• The pregnant woman has the right to expect that any information she gives her practitioner will be confidential and not divulged to anyone else without her permission.

• The pregnant woman has the right to comprehensive antenatal care including access to standard tests and procedures related to the wellbeing of mother and child.

• The pregnant woman has the right, prior to the administration of any drug, medication, procedure or test to be informed by her practitioner of any direct or indirect effects, risks or hazards to herself or her baby.

• The pregnant woman has the right to determine for herself whether she will accept the risks inherent in a proposed therapy, drug, test or procedure.

• The pregnant woman has the right to choose how she gives birth and to be treated with dignity and consideration at all times so that she feels free to follow her instinctive reactions during birth.

• The pregnant woman has the right to ancillary medical support when needed.

• The pregnant woman has the right, if transferred to hospital, to be treated with courtesy and respect and to be accompanied by her practitioner and support people of her choice.

• The pregnant woman has the right, if transferred to hospital, not to be separated from her baby except for valid medical reasons.

• The pregnant woman has the right to comprehensive postnatal care including support for the establishment of breastfeeding, assessment and care of her newborn baby, and information about relevant screening tests and registration of birth.

• The pregnant woman has the right to be informed if there is any known or indicated aspect of her baby’s care or condition which may cause her or her baby later problems.

• The pregnant woman has the right of access to her and her baby’s records and to receive copy of her notes when desired.

• The pregnant woman has the right, in the event of an unexpected outcome to her pregnancy or birth to receive all the additional support and services she needs.

• The pregnant woman has the right to complain and to receive satisfaction from her practitioner.

 

AS THE PREGNANT WOMAN HAS RIGHTS, SHE ALSO HAS RESPONSIBILITIES.

Responsibilities.

The pregnant woman is responsible for:

1. Learning about the physical, psychological and emotional process of labour, birth and postpartum recovery.

2. Learning about good antenatal and birth care so that she may choose the best possible arrangements, which suit her individuality and circumstances.

3. Learning about her practitioner’s methods including evaluating statistics of past cases and talking with other clients.

4. Her own emotional and physical wellbeing during pregnancy.

5. Attending her antenatal appointments and informing her practitioner when she is unable to attend.

6. Her own psychological preparation for homebirth in a society, which may be unsupported or even hostile, especially if the pregnancy results in the death of a baby.

7. Meeting her practitioner’s requirements for preparation for homeb . irth.

8. Informing the practitioner of any relevant physical, emotional or psychological information, which may affect the outcome of her birth. These include the intake of drugs, medications, herbs, allopathic, naturopathic, psychological or alternative therapies and the obstetrical, sexual or psychological history of herself or her relations, friends or partners which are affecting her attitude towards birth and parenting.

9. Providing a suitable birthplace and environment for her newborn baby.

10. Making any alternative arrangements for her birth and for booking into hospital

Women should expect wherever she chooses to give birth to have access to many if not all of these points. - Know your rights. Each hospital has a hospital charter and Victoria has a section, 10c incoporated into their  Human Rights Act 2006.