Wednesday, March 14, 2012

No rights for home birthers

It has hit like a huge punch in the guts just how much home birthers are discriminated against.

I free birthed my daughter in my home on the 7/7/2011 and I contacted our local hospital with whom I had pre natal care with on the 10/8/2011 to ask for a letter about my care so I could register her home birth.
See I need a letter from my own doctor and the hospital stating they saw me during my pregnancy so I can prove I was pregnant and did in fact give birth.

Week after week I got "we will get back to you", " I will see what I can do and ring you back", "I will get my manager onto it and she will send it out to you"
6 months down the track I'm still waiting. Yesterday I decided not to ring them back (yet again) but to go on up to women's health at the Bendigo Hospital and talk to them in person.
I spoke to a woman named Sam who said she couldn't do anything right there and then as she needs to get my records up from the records department but would get me what I wanted by the end of the week.

Well today a lady called Tracy who was there yesterday and kept butting in saying "we can't give you a letter saying you birthed here because you didn't" *sigh* I polity replied to her that isn't what I wanted and once again explained exactly what I wanted. I kept getting an anti home birthing vibe from her.
So today she rings me to say they can't and wont be supplying me with what I need.
I asked her why and she babbled something about them not seeing me within a few days of or after me giving birth so can't provided documentation saying I did.
I started to get a little angry (OK a lot) and explained that they did indeed see me only a few days before I gave birth and even rang the very next day because I had missed an appointment. Which a pone finding out I gave birth offered to send out a Dom midwife to see me, which I accepted.
Tracy then went on to say they wont give me the letter I'm after unless I get a legal document to state what I need. (she also refused to let me speak to her manager)
I don't have to money to go to a lawyer to get a letter for them. I have NEVER heard of this kind of thing happening.
I'm appalled by the way I have been treated because I chose to home birth.

I,m not sure if it was the threats I was going to take this issue to the head of the hospital or the threats I was going to take this public any way I can (which I still will, I'm going to start drafting a letter to my local paper tonight) but Tracy rang me back withing 5 minutes saying her "manager" wasn't aware that I had received care at the hospital so close to my birth she (the manage)will ring me back within the next half hour (there goes my plans for before school pick up time) to discuss what I need.

Hmm more stone walling perhaps?

So after a lot of tears of anger and frustration, I'm now in that stunned WTF do I do now state.

Gotta love the public hospital system hey,NOT! HA its because of them I chose to with a home birth..but story is for another post when I'm feeling strong enough to talk about it.

7 comments:

  1. You do know that maybe they are just doing their job and what they are told and it might not have anything at all to do with the fact you HOME BIRTHED. Know wouldn't you say you are assuming something because you feel the need to go on the attack. No I wasn't there and didn't hear the conversation you had or anything but I was always lead to believe that there are three sides to a story. YOURS, THEIRS and the TRUTH.

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    1. NO your were not there and DIDN'T hear the conversation or SEE her body language. How about instead of being rude to me via annon you put your name to your post.
      This is my blog and I will use it to vent if I want to!

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    2. Why the aggression and why hide behind being "anon"? Such an odd comment, almost defensive in a way.

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  2. Just a quick update on this
    No phone call as of yet from the manager of Women's health (no surprise there) but I have contacted the Patient Relations Officer.
    He was very nice and shocked that they (Women's health) haven't given me the letter/certificate of attendance that I need. He is going to chase it up for me.

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  3. Gotta love keyboard warriors Bel, too gutless to put a name to their stupidity.

    I am so sorry you are being treated like this, I hope you can get the form you need without too much more grief.

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  4. Wow how complicated is that ....good luck with your mission. x

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