Women in Ireland are being “short-changed” due to the lack of birthing options available to them, a campaign group has said.
The Irish Birth Movement staged a small protest outside Leinster House in Dublin on Thursday afternoon in response to the continued ban on home births in the midwest region as well as the recent closure of the private midwife group.
The closure of Private Midwives Ireland means home births with midwives are now only available through HSE services, which are not in every county yet. Home births in the midwest, which includes Limerick, Clare and Tipperary, were suspended following the death of Limerick woman Laura Liston in June 2022, after the home birth of her first child.
Holding signs that stated “Your birth, your choice” and “End the Eircode lottery for home birth”, the women and children gathered chanted that they wanted better options available to expectant mothers.
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Sandra Healy, a midwife based in Limerick and one of the founding members of the Irish Birth Movement, said choice is “so important for women”.
“Access to home birth has actually decreased for many women around the country. It’s like a postcode lottery in that there are pockets of Ireland that have no access to home-birth service,” she said.
“With the private midwives closing and the suspension of home-birth services in the midwest, really women in certain areas are deprived of choices. They’re left with two options: a hospital birth or a free-birth option that they may not have wanted.”
Jenni Garbey, who is based in Co Sligo, had two home births abroad, in Canada and Australia. When she was pregnant with her third child in Ireland she sought a midwife who could facilitate her home birth in Sligo but was told there were none available.
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“It was very disappointing. For me, my first birth was an unplanned home birth but when I did have it I realised how amazing it was because I was in the comfort of my own home with my partner so I felt safe and supported and everything went beautifully,” she said.
“It was so easy, particularly in the postpartum period because I didn’t have to be in a ward with other people. I was just in the comfort of my own home.”
Due to the lack of services, she had planned for a hospital birth with her third child. However, it ended up being an unassisted birth at home.
“I didn’t plan that. I was in the hospital system and I was seeing midwives. But she came at home and everything was fine,” she said. “I did have a home birth in the end but it wasn’t in the situation I would have liked because there was a lot of pressure on me. I would have preferred to have a midwife on call.”
Chiara Virgillito is a midwife who works in the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin. She spoke at the protest as she believes there needs to be more choice available to women.
She has had two children delivered at home and is pregnant on her third who she also intends to give birth to at home.
“I’m so passionate about choice – whatever that looks like for people. Choice can be multidirectional. Home was the place I felt safe and where I wanted to be,” she added.
A spokesman for HSE midwest said home-birth services in the region “remain suspended pending the full implementation of recommendations arising from the concluded external review”.
This review was undertaken by a four-member team comprising a consultant obstetrician, director of midwifery, designated midwifery officer and a case officer.
“While at present we do not have a confirmed timeline for when home-birth services will resume, we are actively working towards this goal,” the spokesman said.
“We acknowledge that the review process and implementation of recommendations have taken time and we understand the frustration this has caused.”
He added: “Meanwile, we strongly advise against unassisted births and encourage women and their partner to avail of maternity services in UMHL and HSE Mid West.”
