PBB Bulletin - Improving Maternity Care in Australia with Alecia Staines

Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond

PBB Special Bulletin/Interview with Alecia Staines, Director of Maternity Consumer Network
If you are tuning in from Australia, this is an important message to women, people, families and community members accessing maternity healthcare services. A federal election is coming up and your voice is needed in improving maternity care!
Welcome to Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond, I’m Annalee Atia with a special News Bulletin for Australians listeners today, Tuesday 30th March. I’m speaking with Alecia Staines, Director of one of our largest maternity consumer advocacy organisations - Maternity Consumer Network, she is also the host and creator of the podcast ‘Birth - the forgotten Feminist Issue’ (check it out, its excellent), a Hypnobirthing teacher and mother of five.
We caught up last night after one of Alecia’s classes to discuss our upcoming Federal elections in Australia and how we can use the opportunities federal elections bring about to improve maternity health care services. Some of you might know that I am also the National President of Maternity Choices Australia, our longest standing maternity advocacy organisation and this is the first time I have had the pleasure of interviewing Alecia, after many years of crossing paths through our work.
Join us for a fast-paced and illuminating discussion on how you can participate in improving maternity healthcare services in your area, and why its so important that you do! Share this interview with friends and family, write to your local MP and keep us posted about your progress! All the details are in the show notes following.
WHAT YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE MATERNITY SERVICES:
Get in touch with your local federal MP and candidates and let them know that maternity care matters to you!
HOW TO DO IT:
Look up the Federal PM for your electorate (your town/where you live is located within a specific electorate). You will also want to look up the candidates for this seat for the three major parties. Email them with your personal note and attach the Brief (see below) if applicable. You can request a meeting with them to ensure they understand just how important these issues are. In your email and within the brief, add your name, contact number and postal address (this will ensure a reply). Follow up with a phone call to your MP.
->> Keep up posted about your progress! Email [e-mail] or [e-mail] you can also let us know via socials! Use the hashtag #BetterMaternity2021 and we will find you on FB, IG, Twitter etc!
WHO CAN DO IT?
Anyone who cares about our Australian maternity healthcare services, especially health consumers (people who access healthcare services) and support people.
THE BRIEF / AKA what to ask your elected federal MP's and candidates to commit to this coming election (you can also find this online at www.maternotyconsumernetwork.org.au under campaigns):
Background:
Current maternity spending by government is about $7 billion per year. The current birth rate is around 300,000 births per year.
Outcomes:
Despite having such high financial input, outcomes are relatively poor:
* 1/3 women have birth trauma. 2/3 of this is due to disrespectful treatment
* Only 8% of women can access continuity of midwifery carer- the best type of maternity care
* Caesarean rate 36% - more than double the recommended rate by WHO
* 43% of low risk women having their labour induced. Many are reporting not having informed consent.
* 11-fold variance in 3rd/4th degree tears
* Preterm birth rate of aboriginal babies is between 2 and 7 times that of non-indigenous babies.
Solutions (what to ask your MP to lobby for)
1. Increase continuity of midwifery carer to:
-Reduce unnecessary intervention
-reduce preterm birth rate for Aboriginal women and babies
-increase breastfeeding rates
-reduce birth trauma and PNDA
This is outlined in the 2019 National Strategy for Australian Maternity Services. The Federal Government provides continuity of midwifery carer to women via private midwives.
2. Bundled Funding as suggested by IHPA in 2017, national strategy in 2019 and MBS review of Participating Midwives report in 2019
3. Published data on hospital and clinician outcomes including: Patient Reported Experience Measure and Patient Reported Outcome Measures.
Woman Centred Care:
To ensure regular monitoring and evaluation of the National Strategy for Australian Maternity Services, consumers need to be involved through consultation and decision-making processes.
Contact: Add your personal details here!
For more information about this brief and if you need any support with the process, you can get in touch with Alecia directly:
Alecia Staines, Director Maternity Consumer Network
Phone/text: 0401033348
Email: [e-mail]
Show Links:
Maternity Consumer Network -
https://www.maternityconsumernetwork.org.au/us
Podcast: Birth - The Forgotten Feminist Issue with Alecia Staines
https://open.spotify.com/show/6bHPMCtZ7B3GhafyYotbL0?si=N_iPY5LUSTinTIK_l3Dmhw
Continuity of Midwifery Carer:
https://www.midwives.org.au/midwifery-continuity-care
Woman-Centred Care - the new Australian Strategic Directions for Maternity Care (yet to be fully implemented and requires constant nudging to move forward in each state):
https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/woman-centred-care-strategic-directions-for-australian-maternity-services
Precolonial history of Gadigal people: https://www.centennialparklands.com.au/getmedia/e32ae90a-e730-4c28-82c4-4b17e9e3c5e1/Appendix_S_-_Pre-colonial_Archaeology_report_Val_Attenbrow.pdf.aspx
This podcast was recorded on Gadigal clan lands, an area encompassing the Centennial, Queen’s and Moore Parklands. I pay my respects to elders past, present and those emerging and deeply acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land whose cultures and customs have nurtured and continue to nurture this land and waters for over 60,000 years and upon which we now work and live. I recognise that the sovereignty of the pre-colonial peoples of these lands was never ceded and that recognition of culture, connection to land and waters and the sovereignty of all indigenous peoples across Australia is a matter of current and vital importance.
Recorded on 29th March, 2021
Guest: Alecia Staines
Alecia is a mother-of-5, maternity reform lobbyist, Director of Maternity Consumer Network, former classroom teacher turned birth nerd and lives in Noosa, Queensland. She's received all her maternity care through continuity of midwifery carer in a range of settings- hospital, birth centre and home. She passionate about politics, birth and feminism and ensure women have access to care that supports their needs, allows them to make informed decisions and autonomy in how and where they birth.
>> hashtag #BetterMaternity2021
Produced and presented by Annalee Atia
All rights reserved.
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