community midwives association
Providing the HSE National Homebirth Service to women and their families in Ireland.
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Welcome!
The Community Midwives Association (CMA) is a collective of case loading self employed community midwives (SECMs) who work with women and their families requesting home birth within a maternity system where access to a home birth through the mainstream obstetric model of care is minimal.
The CMA was set up in 2008 as a response to the changes in access to insurance by independent midwives, now provided for a defined service by the HSE, in conjunction with the State Claims Agency Clinical Indemnity Scheme.
Collectively, we aim to demonstrate and promote best practice, work collaboratively with professional colleagues to improve the service to woman and their families and consult with stakeholders and decision makers to improve access and services for all women.
Never before has there been such a wide and growing body of high quality of evidence that unequivocally supports the safety of home birth for many mothers.
Respecting a mothers choice, and human right, to not only physical safety for her and her baby, but also psychological, physiological, cultural and spiritual safety means the conversation needs to refocus on equity of access for options on place of birth and services for all women. The National Maternity Strategy (2016-2026) acknowledges this and the need for a nationally integrated home birth service and states it’s commitment to a well supported and resourced home birth service option for all healthy well mothers and their babies.