The HSE should expand access to its home birth service, TD Holly Cairns has said. 

Last year, a report recommended women who live further than 30 minutes away from a maternity hospital should no longer be eligible for the service. 

The Social Democrats  leader represents the sprawling Cork South West constituency and the recommendation would have impacted a large number of her constituents. 

“In effect that recommendation [meant] large swathes of rural Ireland wouldn’t be allowed to have home births by the State,” she told The Hard Shoulder. 

“That idea was shelved because it was highlighted time and time again there was no evidence to back up the claims that the report made. 

“But since then, we’ve had no update; so they haven’t limited the access - which is great - but they haven’t abandoned the plans to do that either.”

Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns. Picture by: Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie

Deputy Cairns said she gets a lot of feedback about the service from her constituents who think the service is “exceptional”. 

“I just can’t explain the gratitude that my constituents have towards the homebirth service,” she said. 

“It really does mean a lot to people and the recent research has shown just how good that service is.

“So, I’d be calling on the HSE to do more to expand it and ensure that it isn’t removed from large swathes of the country when there’s no evidence to back that up.” 

E2D65R Pregnant woman suffer from back pain. Concept photo of pregnancy, pregnant woman lifestyle and health care. copyspace

Community Midwives Association Chairperson Aisling Dixon said the popularity of home births has surged in recent years. 

“The COVID brought a huge increase in home births,” she said. 

“It probably has increased by about 50, 60% from 2019 to 2022.

“A certain percentage, maybe 25% of women over the duration of their pregnancy, would fall out of the criteria and it would be recommended that they give birth in a hospital. 

“Some reasons for that would be that women didn’t want to consider going in somewhere where there was increased COVID, there were restrictions on partners’ access and others considered it at one time, didn’t give a lot of thought, investigated it greater and found it wouldn’t be an option for them.” 

In 2021, nearly 650 women in Ireland opted to give birth at home. 

Main image: Pregnant woman sitting on bed.