"Maternity care system"

I recently moved to Albany from Perth for work with my partner. When we found out we were pregnant, we were so excited to have a baby in Albany. I feel it is such a peaceful place with a sense of community. However our experience through the maternity system has been extremely disappointing. Unlike many medical centres in Perth, doctors usually bulk bill. In Albany, I feel it is almost unheard of it to find a doctor or private OB that will bulk bill. This goes for the radiology centres down here. We are lucky to have a rebate through medicare but it is small compared to some of the prices we have had to pay upfront. Before our baby is even born, we have spent thousands of dollars. The further along I go with my pregnancy the less I am working so it seems to me this puts an unfair pressure on myself/my partner to pay for ultrasounds/OB appointments.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect is the inability to have a home birth in Albany, I believe despite all the evidence! Not to mention I feel there are only a few OBs that will deliver your baby in the water for a water birth, again, despite what I see as the positive evidence. Getting in to see them I've found is incredibly difficult as well. Based on my experience, the lack of options to have a baby in Albany even though it is a small city I feel is shocking. I think even a different nearby hospital facilitates home birth options.

In my opinion, all women should be offered every pathway to experience a birth of their choice. I feel pressured to have a hospital birth and feel as if my autonomy and freedom is lost from that alone. I only plan to have one child so my dreams of having a natural, home birth, surrounded by familiarity, my partner, family, pets etc I believe is gone. Birthing at home would empower me and make me feel more comfortable and that should be prioritised. If it were physically, mentally and financially feasible I would return to Perth to have my baby but in my experience that puts too much pressure on families.

I really hope that my story will help make way for more options for women in Albany to choose the birth they desire and to have all the flexibilities and possibilities available to them including birth centres and more doula services. Like I said, I think the evidence is there. I also hope businesses will stop privatising things like ultrasounds, especially for pregnant women. In my opinion, it is all kinds of wrong.