In this special collaborative episode of Australian VBAC Stories and The Motherwhelm, Bronwyn is joined by fellow co-hosts Katelyn Comerford, President of Homebirth NSW and Coordinator of Homebirth Australia, and Georgia Slee, birth and postpartum doula, to discuss an urgent issue threatening access to privately supported homebirth in Australia.

From 1 January 2027, an existing exemption from professional indemnity insurance requirements for privately practising midwives attending homebirths is due to expire. However, the insurance product currently available is not accessible to non-endorsed midwives, many of whom provide essential support as second midwives at homebirths.

Without an appropriate and affordable insurance solution, privately practising midwives may be unable to continue offering homebirth services, leaving pregnant women and families with fewer maternity care options.

Together, Bronwyn, Katelyn, and Georgia explain how privately supported homebirth works, what professional indemnity insurance is, and why the current arrangements could have far-reaching consequences for midwives and birthing families, particularly those living in rural and regional Australia.

They discuss the importance of continuity of midwifery care, the experiences of women navigating previous birth trauma, and concerns that restricting access to professionally supported homebirth could lead some women to consider giving birth without a registered health professional present.

The conversation explores the broader implications for informed consent, bodily autonomy, and maternity care, asking why the ability to make meaningful choices about birth matters to all women, regardless of where or how they choose to give birth.

Katelyn also outlines the advocacy work being undertaken by Homebirth NSW and Homebirth Australia, including proposed solutions to the insurance issue and plans for the Grandmother of All Rallies in Canberra, alongside nationwide rallies scheduled for Saturday 21 November 2026.

Resources and further information:

Homebirth Australia: https://www.homebirthaustralia.org/

Homebirth NSW: https://www.homebirthnsw.org.au/

Information about the Grandmother of All Rallies, nationwide rallies and current advocacy initiatives can be found through Homebirth Australia's official channels.

Every woman deserves access to informed, respectful, and appropriate maternity care. This conversation explores what happens when those choices are placed at risk.

In this episode of Australian VBAC Stories, Francesca shares the story of all four of her births, from an unexpected caesarean, through a planned VBAC that ended in another caesarean, to two homebirth VBACs that brought very different lessons about trust, intuition and surrender.

Francesca’s first birth left her grappling with questions around consent, coercion and the emotional aftermath of intervention. Her second birth was a planned VBAC, with extensive preparation and the support of a private midwife, but ultimately ended in another caesarean after a long labour and concerns about her baby’s heart rate.

By her third pregnancy, Francesca was looking beyond simply preparing for a particular birth outcome. She was working through her fears, finding her voice and learning to take ownership of her decisions. That journey led her to a homebirth VBAC, an experience she describes as powerful, euphoric and completely transformative.

Then came a surprise fourth pregnancy, and another homebirth VBAC. This time, Francesca’s focus was less on control and more on surrender: trusting the process, accepting that she couldn’t control every part of the journey, and allowing herself to meet her baby when the time was right.

A clinical psychologist before she had children, Francesca has since shifted her work to the perinatal space, and reflects on how her births shaped her work and broadened her understanding of what really matters in birth. We talk about continuity of care, finding a care provider you can genuinely trust, psychological safety, trauma responses, the pressure to “do everything right”, and the deeper emotional work that can sit alongside birth preparation.

And importantly, Francesca talks about holding space for both things: working through the fears and experiences that might be getting in the way, while still allowing yourself to dream about the birth you want.

A conversation about finding your voice, trusting yourself, and discovering that preparing for birth can be about so much more than the outcome.

To connect with Francesca, reach out via Core and Floor Restore with whom she subcontracts, at @coreandfloorrestore or www.coreandfloor.com.au

Please join us on our journey to bringing you all kinds of VBAC stories from across the country from here on in by subscribing and following us on social media, @australianvbacstories on Instagram and Australian VBAC Stories on Facebook.

If you enjoyed this episode, we’d love to rate or review, and tell your friends!

If you are feeling that you might benefit from mental health support after listening to our podcast, please reach out to one of the organisations below:

PANDA https://panda.org.au/

Gidget Foundation https://www.gidgetfoundation.org.au/

COPE Australia https://www.cope.org.au/

If you've experienced mistreatment or disrespectful care in your pregnancy, birth or postpartum and are seeking advocacy support, please contact one of the following organisations:

Maternity Choices Australia https://www.maternitychoices.org/

Maternity Consumer Network https://www.maternityconsumernetwork.org.au/

Thank you for tuning in to our podcast.

In our latest episode, we welcome Kyra, mum to Savannah and Vera, who shares her journey from an unexpected caesarean birth to a special scar HBAC.

Kyra went into her first birth expecting a straightforward vaginal birth. After going into spontaneous labour at 40+4, however, a posterior and asynclitic baby, intense back labour and a long labour that eventually involved a cascade of intervention led to an unplanned caesarean. The experience had a profound impact on Kyra. Immediately after surgery, she was also told that an extension to her uterine incision meant she would need caesareans for any future babies.

When Kyra became pregnant again, she knew she wanted to understand her options. She immersed herself in VBAC research, learning about special scars, birth physiology and informed decision-making, and initially began preparing for a hospital VBAC. But as her pregnancy progressed, Kyra began questioning what she needed to feel safe and supported in birth - ultimately making a significant change to her birth plans.

In this episode, Kyra shares the twists and turns of preparing for a VBAC with a special scar, including gestational diabetes, a breech baby at 34 weeks, navigating differing opinions about her choices, finding the right support team, and preparing both physically and mentally for birth. We also talk about birth trauma, self-advocacy, informed consent, continuity of care and why Kyra believes knowledge and the people surrounding her made such a difference the second time around.

Kyra’s story is also a thoughtful reminder that doing all the “right” preparation cannot guarantee a particular birth outcome - and that informed, supported birth can look different for every woman.

Whether you’re navigating a special scar, preparing for a VBAC or simply trying to feel more informed and confident in your birth choices, we hope you enjoy Kyra’s story.

Please join us on our journey to bringing you all kinds of VBAC stories from across the country from here on in by subscribing and following us on social media, @australianvbacstories on Instagram and Australian VBAC Stories on Facebook.

If you enjoyed this episode, we’d love to rate or review, and tell your friends!

If you are feeling that you might benefit from mental health support after listening to our podcast, please reach out to one of the organisations below:

PANDA ⁠https://panda.org.au/⁠

Gidget Foundation ⁠https://www.gidgetfoundation.org.au/⁠

COPE Australia ⁠https://www.cope.org.au/⁠

If you've experienced mistreatment or disrespectful care in your pregnancy, birth or postpartum and are seeking advocacy support, please contact one of the following organisations:

Maternity Choices Australia ⁠https://www.maternitychoices.org/⁠

Maternity Consumer Network ⁠https://www.maternityconsumernetwork.org.au/⁠

Thank you for tuning in to our podcast.