SLINGS

The notes here are a summary from discussions about baby slings at a babs group. There is a plan to prepare an information sheet, so in putting the notes on the blog, we would welcome any comments or ideas about baby wearing, and links to websites, that you are happy to share with others. [Your photos are also welcome]


There are three main types: simple, soft structured carriers, and wraps.

Simple slings:

Meh Tai is a plain rectangle of fabric, with tie pieces attached. It can be bought from ABA Mothers Direct.
Maya Tie, which is based on the Meh Tai.

Pouch/Tube slings
[Add links]

Soft Structured carriers (with straps and clips): include
Ergo - see ABA Mothers Direct
ABA Simplicity Sling
Also, highly recommended,
Yamo Baby Carrier

Note that there are some soft structured carriers that are available in retail stores that mothers in our discussion did not like. These carriers suspend the baby with a lot of pressure on his/her crotch, while the better carriers achieve support across the baby's thighs and crotch.

Wraps: These are made of long pieces of fabric, either with or without rings. The plain fabric wraps are approximately 6 metres long.

Examples of Ring Slings: Maya Wrap
hugabub ring slings

Other wraps that are used and recommended by members of our groups:
Vatani Wrap
Stork Wrap
Hug-a-bub

cheryl connolly wrote:
there is a great DVD to cover everything - you can get it from Kimba, who sells various cloth baby carriers, at gonanago@gmail.com
a general website to look is baby-carriers-downunder.com
and peppermint.com

REMINDER: RALLY ON MONDAY

Monday 9 November 2009 from 10.30am (local time)


Rally points:

Brisbane:
Prime Minister
Kevin Rudd’s office
630 Wynnum Road
Morningside Qld 4170

Werribee:
Deputy Prime Minister
Julia Gillard’s office
Shop 2, 36 Synnot Street
Werribee Vic 3030

Sydney:
Minister for the Status of Women
Tanya Plibersek’s office
111-117 Devonshire Street
Surry Hills NSW 2010

Perth: at 11.10am Perth Only
Office of Stephen Smith (most senior Gov member in WA)
953A Beaufort Street
Inglewood WA 6932


If you are unable to attend, please prepare your 'calling card' - a letter to Kevin, Julia, Tanya, or Stephen (or another member of the government), telling them who you are and why you can not accept maternity reform which prevents midwives from practising midwifery in their own right, and prevents women from giving birth in their homes with their chosen midwife attending them. Please email your letter to your midwife or someone else who is going to the rally, and ask them to give it to the MP concerned.

Anyone who would like their calling card to appear on this blog, please email it to joy@aitex.com.au


NOTE:
I want to encourage midwives to go to the rally, and to make sure your banners and calling cards state clearly that you are not happy with what this reform is doing to you – as a midwife.

The midwife’s livelihood is at stake, and we need to be heard. The whole profession of midwifery stands to lose our right to practising on our own authority in any setting.

Homebirth Awareness Week: Celebrate or Commiserate?

NEWS RELEASE

Monday October 26 2009

Contact: Justine Caines 0408210273


Homebirth Awareness Week: Celebrate or Commiserate?
Minister’s Weakness and Bureaucrats ignorance continues

This week marks Homebirth Awareness week. Homebirth Australia fears that this time next year Australian women will not have the option of homebirth.

“It is hard to understand the hysteria around homebirth in Australia. Our maternity hospitals are full to the brim, many of them churning women out conveyor belt style and yet this is considered safe, hardly! said Justine Caines Secretary of Homebirth Australia and mother of seven home born children.”

Mainstream Australian maternity care is not about women, women are rarely consulted in the development of services, they are the main player and yet they have been silenced by practitioners who insist they ‘know better’ said Ms Caines.

Homebirth on the other hand is different. Women make decisions about their care, they invite a midwife into their home, rather than be forced to meet the needs of practitioners and organisational convenience which happens when giving birth in a hospital” said Ms Caines

“The outcomes from homebirth are also considerably better*. Women experience more personalised care and fewer interventions, they also enter motherhood happier and more content.” said Ms Caines

Something that is considered a normal reasonable choice in the U.K, The Netherlands, New Zealand, and Canada is under threat of extinction in Australia. Bureaucrats advising the Minister do not even understand homebirth and they refuse to seek information from key stakeholders

“Asking an Obstetrician about homebirth is like seeking advice from a midwife on caesarean surgery.” said Ms Caines

“Health Minister Nicola Roxon plans to fund midwifery care under Medicare, something sorely needed. She has however excluded homebirth. She did this against all evidence and the express wishes of the women of Australia across two enquiries, one that broke a Senate record on the number of submissions received.” said Ms Caines

The question remains; Will politicians continue to be more responsive to those with deep vested interest in maternity services? It is time to step up and listen to women, the very people for whom these so called reforms are proposed.” asked Ms Caines


Also see previous posts:
More irrefutable evidence

Safe Maternity Care

Homebirths in Victoria 2007

A BREECH IN THE SYSTEM

* VICTORIAN PREMIER SCREENING *

Maternity Coalition Movie Night THURSDAY, 5th November, 2009

Annual Report 2009

This is the brief annual report, presented to the BaBS AGM today. A financial report was also presented, and is available for members.

If you are involved in BaBS groups, and would like to support BaBS at an organisational level by becoming a member, please speak to one of the facilitators or midwives, or leave a message at this blog, and a membership form and other information will be emailed to you.


ANNUAL REPORT 2009
BaBS INCORPORATED

Report of the Association for the Annual General Meeting 28 September 2009


Since the inaugural meeting of BaBS Inc 6 August 2008, the committee has provided management and oversight of the association.

In November 2008 the committee accepted, with regret, the resignation of Erika Munton from the role of National Coordinator. Erika continued as a committee member, and as a facilitator of the Croydon BaBS group.

Erika has been an inspirational leader in BaBS, and the committee thank Erika for her dedication and skill in the past three years in the development of BaBS. Erika’s shoes have been difficult to fill. Other committee members have acted as they have been able in her absence.

Financial matters have been competently managed by the Treasurer, Tabitha Melgalvis. An ABN (Australian Business Number) has been accessed, and it appears on the association’s letterhead. A bank account has been opened with the Community Banking Sector (Bendigo Bank). BaBS Incorporated has been registered with the Australian Tax Office as a tax exempt body.

BaBS groups meet regularly at various locations. In some instances groups have ceased when the availability of facilitators has changed. The groups (in alphabetical order) have been facilitated at Albury NSW, Bayside Vic, Box Hill Vic, Casey Vic, Croydon Vic, Ferntree Gully Vic, Macedon Vic, Stanthorpe Qld, Sunshine Coast Qld, Ipswich Qld, Wagga Wagga NSW, and Wangaratta Vic. Some of the groups have continued under the management of Maternity Coalition, while others, particularly those in Victoria, report to BaBS Inc.

BaBS groups rely on leadership from mothers and midwives in communities. In the past six months there has been an unexpected and unprecedented threat to the future of private midwifery practice in Australia as a result of legislative reforms. BaBS has been supported by midwives in private practice, and this threat to their ability to continue practising has diverted much energy and availability.

BaBS continues to provide peer support groups for mothers in their communities, seeking to enable new mothers and pregnant women to increase their control over, and to improve, their health in pregnancy and birthing, and in the nurture of their babies.

Joy Johnston
Acting National Coordinator

Assisted reproduction technology in Australia and New Zealand 2007

The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has released a new report:

Assisted reproduction technology in Australia and New Zealand 2007
In 2007, there were 56,817 assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment cycles undertaken in Australian and New Zealand. Of these cycles, 17.4% resulted in a live delivery (the birth of at least one liveborn baby). In total, 10,856 liveborn babies were born following ART treatment undertaken in 2007. The most important recent trend in ART treatment has been the reduction in the rate of twins and triplets births, with the multiple delivery rate falling from 18.7% in 2003 to 10.0% in 2007. This trend has been associated with an increase in the proportion of ART treatment cycles using single embryo transfer, from 32.0% in 2003 to 63.7% in 2007.


Click on the link to view the media release and report.

BaBs Clota Cottage - end of Term 3 picnic photos