Doulas, or unregistered birth workers, should face fines and/or criminal charges for performing clinical services during childbirth, peak medical bodies say.
The obstetric and midwifery groups have demanded federal, state and territory governments follow in South Australia’s footsteps and ban doulas from a range of activities after recent tragedies during so-called freebirths, where registered health professionals are absent.
Stacey Hatfield, also known as Stacey Warnecke, died after giving birth at her home.Credit: Instagram, NaturalSpoonfuls
South Australia’s Health Practitioner Regulation Law outlaws doulas from performing 19 clinical actions, and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG), and the Australian College of Midwives is demanding the law be adopted by all Australian jurisdictions.
The two bodies wrote to health ministers on Monday morning after “a recent spate of deaths”.
The latest death was of that Melbourne nutrition influencer Stacey Hatfield (also known as Stacey Warnecke), who was rushed to hospital in September over a serious postpartum haemorrhage she suffered after a freebirth. Hatfield’s son survived.
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The two medical bodies are calling on health ministers to introduce and pass legislation that expressly restricts labour and birth management, including the three stages of labour, to appropriately trained and registered practitioners.
They want unlicensed or unregulated workers – sometimes known as birth keepers – prohibited from any labour management outside what is specified in legislation, and want regulatory frameworks to be harmonised to protect all Australian women.
In South Australia, birth workers who perform restricted birthing practices can be fined up to $30,000 or jailed for up to 12 months.