Who are we

Kia ora and welcome to the website of the Canterbury Home Birth Association.

History
The Canterbury Home Birth Association has been politically active since 1973. Home Birth organisations in Aoteora, New Zealand began because women who wished to take an active role in their birth recognised that the medical profession, supported by government, was usurping knowledges and practices, disenabling women through intervention and the use of hospitals. Doctors - predominantly men at the time - had to be present at Home Births and Midwives and consumers struggled to provide primary care for mothers wishing to birth out of the hospital system. Women who chose to practice midwifery and birth 'alternatively' understood the need to support other women wanting to do the same, so they collectively established HomeBirth organisations to do just that.

Present
At present the Canterbury Home Birth Association is volunteer based - which means women, like yourselves, come together for various reasons, to maintain the association as a viable supportive network. In essence we exist because of participation - the involvement of volunteer staff and the support of consumers, people like you (the line between consumer and staff is blurry at best). We have always survived on that means. Women have always had to struggle to have their voices heard, acknowledged, accepted and understood.

The Canterbury Home Birth Association is a place where you ask questions in a safe environment and gain information so that you can find strength in your birthing decisions. We hope that this website can offer you and your friends, family and whanau the opportunity to make well informed choices about Home Birthing and along the way offer insight or information into pregnancy, birthing and parenting.