Notice of General Meeting: Friday 28 April 2023 |
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Restructuring of MCA almost complete! |
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Following our resolution in February to change MCA's structure from an incorporated association to a company limited by guarantee, the team has been busy finalising all the paperwork with ASIC and our lawyers. This has proven a lengthy process, however, the restructuring is imminent and should be finalised in May. To support the transition, we'll also be making updates to our website. The team is eagerly anticipating finalising our new structure, as we will, at last, be able to seek the funding we need to uplevel our campaigning after three decades of work by many tireless volunteers with very limited resources. To read more about our plans for the year ahead, you can check out: our Strategic Plan (developed by our President Peta Tuck), our new website Best Birth Finder helps women find reviews of their local birth services, as well as submit reviews and send feedback to their birth services, and of course, our massive continuous advocacy efforts
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To keep up to date with the restructure, check out our website, or you can contact us with any questions. |
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Concerns about language in Safer Baby Bundle rollout The Safer Baby Bundle is a suite of resources currently in development targeted at managing the risks of stillbirth. ACT President and consumer representative, Catherine Bell, has repeatedly raised her concerns about the language proposed in the resources, such as 'planned birth', 'shared decision-making' and 'due date'. This also extends to language used on the ACT Health website. She has noted that much of the language around stillbirth is coercive rather than realistic and serves to place women under increasing pressure and surveillance, making them more vulnerable to interventions. Instead, increased emphasis should be put on improving the quality of care, such as expanding access to midwifery continuity of care and ensuring nuanced support for a woman's individual situation. This is especially important given that 55% of stillbirths are caused by substandard care. |
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Induction decision aid for Northern NSW HD MCA consumer rep Joanna Schuurman took part in a working group for a proposed induction decision aid for women birthing in the NNSWHD. While MCA supports women being fully informed regarding induction, Joanna has raised concerns about the decision aid being given to all women at 39 weeks, which could make induction appear to be a 'routine' procedure and further increase the pressure on women at the end of their pregnancies. Joanna has also objected to the risk/benefit data used in the aid, which is based on reviews that combine large cohorts of women of vastly different circumstances and does not give an accurate overview of the real experiences and risks of induction for many women. We argue that women should be informed of the risks and benefits of induction based on their individual circumstances, should they request that information. |
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Funding for free-standing birth centre at Osborne Park Hospital announced MCA welcomes the WA state government's announcement of plans to build a new standalone birth centre adjacent to Osborne Park Hospital, which is in line with best practice for ensuring women-centred care is delivered. The government also confirmed it will build a new Mothers and Babies hospital within the Fiona Stanley Precinct, which will focus on expanded and upgraded obstetrics, gynaecological and neonatal facilities. Our understanding is that the birth centre there will remain within the hospital, unfortunately. |
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MCA awaits budget for announcements on midwifery Medicare reforms MCA is awaiting the hand-down of the federal budget in May to see if outstanding midwifery recommendations endorsed by the MBS Taskforce will be enacted. The primary mechanism for the Commonwealth to support midwifery continuity of care expansion is to improve access to participating midwives via Medicare rebates for services. An MBS Taskforce was established in 2015 with reform to midwifery items identified as a priority. However, uptake of the recommendations has been very slow. Read more about progress via our Federal MP Brief here. |
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New scheduled caesarean birth plans for Southern NSW LHD ACT President and consumer representative, Catherine Bell, has provided feedback on the Scheduled Caesarean Birth Plans for women birthing in the SNSWLHD. These are proposed to be given to women who have elected to have a caesarean. Catherine has shared her insights on the issues associated with birth plans, which can be viewed as coercive and restrictive, emphasising that the true decision-maker is the woman, and the care provider's role is to explain procedures and offer alternatives. |
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Proposed free-standing birth centre in ACT MCA's Catherine Bell, together with HCCA and Maternity Health Matters, are in discussions about planning for the new Northside Hospital, where they would like to see a free-standing birth centre installed. They are working together to ensure that recommendations from the ACT's Public Maternity System Plan 2022-2032 are enacted and the best care models are available to women in the ACT. |
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Are you interested in becoming a consumer representative and advocating for change in your region? Speak up on behalf of birthing women everywhere and become a member of MCA for as little as $20/year, which includes free consumer rep training. We need your voice! |
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MCA member receives literary award for debut novel exposing the silent epidemic of birth trauma Midwife and author Sharon Stoliar has received the Literary Titan Gold Book Award for her debut novel, Scars of Gold, which aims to raise awareness of the prevalence of birth trauma and its long-term impacts on women and their families, with one in three birthing women experiencing trauma. The Sydney author's message is targeted at maternity care providers, calling for them to reflect on their actions, words and behaviours and to practise conscious maternity care. She also encourages women to use their voices to demand change in the care they receive. Well done, Sharon! |
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International Day of the Midwife The Australian College of Midwives (ACM) will be hosting a number of events and walks at their branches across Australia to celebrate the International Day of the Midwife on 5 May 2023. To find out about events near you, see their events page here. |
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Monthly prize draw: Bare Self pregnancy chocolate! |
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Each month we offer a prize draw for our members, and for the next draw, we are pleased to share we're offering a 3-month subscription of the beautifully packaged Bare Self handmade Pregnancy Chocolate. Bare Self Pregnancy Chocolate is inspired by the divine feminine power of the mother goddess and is the ultimate addition to your self-care routine as you make the transition from mother to maiden. Each block contains blueberry, strawberry, cranberry and a hint of lemon, each providing unique health benefits to support women throughout their pregnancy journey. These ingredients are rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, fibre, potassium and folate, all of which are known to improve immune function and assist in the healthy development of your growing baby. |
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The winner of this members' prize will be drawn at the end of our next meeting on Friday 28 April. |
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Help us in our fight to make maternity services accountable to the women they serve and become a member of MCA. Thank you so much to our current members for supporting our work. Memberships are our only source of income currently, which is vital for us as a group of volunteer mums with big plans! Membership starts at just $20/year or $30 for two years. Be a part of the change you want to see in the world and join here. |
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