How can it be 5 years since the last Blog?! I know, Pandemic, Master in Education at the same time, new job as a Teacher part time but at the same time and of course continued homebirth support full time. Any good mother math will tell you that it has been a lot. I have managed to finish the Masters (hurray) and continue to teach at every possibility but since I finished studying, I found more time to mind myself and be creative, to offset the stress of the world we all feel, as well as minding my own body and soul.

In the last 5 years, the Homebirth services have been "integrated" into the acute services. What that was suppose to achieve was an oversight over the services nationwide and a better governance structure. Due to the hospitals not operating under any national guidelines in general, the goal was not achieved as hoped, and we are finding ourselves in a situation, where every hospital interprets the MOU and the Guidelines as they please and a lot of woman are back to looking for "permission" or "sign off" from a consultant instead of being supported in informed decision making, including informed refusal.

Control over woman's bodies or at least the attempts to do so, is increasingly sought around the world and despite a maternity strategy and plans to improve and strengthen the community services, we are back to arguing and apologizing for the lack of choice we can offer. Next week is another March for Choice, as services are so unevenly supplied in Ireland and it remains a postcode lottery, how supported woman will be.

We as SECM's are continuously fighting and advocating for our clients and will try and continue to do so, but we need woman to STAND UP FOR CHOICE! as we can't do it alone! We can do better, we can demand better!

Yours Nanni