Homebirth enquiries up after TV show
Neary docudrama causes increase
RTÉ's Whistleblower drama showing the activities of disgraced Lourdes obstetrician Michael Neary has sparked a huge increase in the number of women seeking home births.
The Homebirth Association of Ireland (HAI) says enquiries jumped threefold, rising from an average of 60 a month to 187, following the broadcast of the docudrama in mid September.
'We have been inundated with calls from women wanting to find out more about home birth. All of the women cited the Neary program as prompting them to call us,' Krysia Lynch of the HAI told the Drogheda Independent.
She said each woman spent an average of an hour discussing their fears and concerns about hospital births.
'Our phones were hopping. We were genuinely surprised by the number of calls. Many of the women had already had a bad experience during a previous hospital birth. They said after watching that programme they simply could not face the trauma of another one,' Krysia explained.
The homebirth advocate said the docudrama showing the events surrounding the Neary scandal resonated with pregnant women.
'The calls came from all over the country. People who had a bad hospital experience said they recognised similar situations when they hadn't been listened to, or felt they had unnecessary procedures carried out on them.'
The homebirth group say enquiries have continued to stay well above average, with 122 calls in October.
They say homebirth will now be easier for women as October saw the HSE introduce a new community midwifery service, with home midwives now insured under the state's clinical indemnity scheme.
Meanwhile, the HSE says a study which compares outcomes for women attending the Lourdes Hospital's midwife led unit with its consultant led services is expected in early 2009.
- ANGELA MCCORMICK
