Sir, - We at the Home BirthCentre of Ireland are saddened but not totally surprised by the comments of Dr Donal O'Sullivan, Limerick obstetric gynaecologist, as reported on June 12th last. His suggestion that violent coercion be used to force women to give birth in hospital against their wishes is sadly in keeping with the patronising attitude still prevailing in many Irish hospitals.
Women are still routinely induced, subjected to the indignity of stirrups for artificial rupture of membranes (ARM - breaking of the waters) and to a host of other degrading and unnecessary interventions, which rob childbirth of its empowering, life enhancing potential.
Dr O'Sullivan's scare mongering about safety does little credit to a man of science. Marjorie Tew's Safer Childbirth and Britain's recent Winterton Report reveal the feasibility of the home birth option on safety grounds. What a pity that in the light of this evidence our Department of Health refuses to honour its statutory obligation to provide midwives for all parents who wish to have their babies born at home.
Emotive appeals to the memory of "an era when women died in child birth" are a poor substitute for the statistical reality of the safety of home birth today. In the void of information, created by the obduracy of the Department of Health and sustained by the patriarchal, controlling ideas of Dr O'Sullivan, we would be happy to provide clear unbiassed information on childbirth options to any one interested, particularly parents to be. - Yours, etc.
Committee of the Home Birth Centre of Ireland.
Langford Cottages,
Summerhill,
Co Meath.
