NEWS RELEASE 
Monday 10 November 2003 
Contact: Annie Sprague: 9497 3625

Midwives Picnic Day Sunday 30th November
Birth, Babies and Christmas

"Birth is a very special time for the mother, baby and the whole family; an experience that is unique and personal," says midwife Annie Sprague. "The best outcomes for healthy women are achieved when each women has a known midwife as her primary carer, and gives birth in the place of her choice."

Ms Sprague, and other members of Midwives In Private Practice (MIPP), is celebrating birth, babies and Christmas on Sunday 30th November at the Darebin Park (end of Separation street, Alphington).

MIPP and the national consumer advocacy organization Maternity Coalition (MC) believe that Australian maternity services need urgent reform. "There are too many caesarean births, currently 27% in Victoria. Many of these could safely be avoided with better maternity care provided by a known midwife. There are too many mothers and babies who suffer unnecessary physical and emotional trauma as a result of pregnancy and birth," says Annie Sprague and her colleagues.

The Maternity Coalition, in a recent submission to the Senate Select Committee on Medicare, claimed "By better use of the midwifery workforce, a saving of estimated 200 Million dollars could be made to the federal health budget annually. Maternity care is provided annually for 250,000 women and their babies and accounts for a significant proportion of Medicare rebates.

"Best practice maternity care for the vast majority of women is primary care by a known midwife. However, women who choose this option usually have to pay privately as Medicare does not rebate midwifery services. There are few publicly funded maternity services which offer primary care from midwives".

MIPP members invite all women, families and those interested in supporting birth reform to join them to celebrate Birth, Babies and Christmas at the midwives picnic.

For more information regarding the picnic or MIPP & MC, please contact: 
Annie Sprague: 9497 3625 spragues@optusnet.com.au 
Joy Johnson: 9808 9614 joy@aitex.com.au 

P.O. Box 1190
Blackburn North,
Victoria 3130
Australia