Time for our patriarchal birth industry to finally put woman and children first

Why would anyone choose a poorly resourced, poorly supported home birth in Ireland when modern, fully-staffed hospitals are now available to everyone? Here’s why: in Irish hospitals labouring women are treated with something close to disdain.

OUR crazy Irish birth industry has reached crisis point. This week we wept with Sarah Williams and Emmet Heneghan, parents of baby Kai whose little black-haired head was visible in his home near Westport at 10.30 on May 23, 2011, but who was pronounced “stillborn” at Mayo General Hospital at 3.29 the next morning.

His parents had planned a home birth and had contracted Christina Engel, a midwife with many years experience in New Zealand. Sarah Williams informed the Director of Nursing in Castlebar of her planned home birth, and was told it was OK if no complications arose during pregnancy.