'Choice taken away' for expectant mums as hospital suffers staff shortages

Expectant mothers in North Queensland say it feels like their "ability to choose" how they give birth has been taken away as a major regional hospital suffers maternity department staff shortages.

There aren't enough midwives or obstetric staff available at Gladstone Hospital so mothers are being forced to either travel an hour and a half to Rockhampton or give birth at home.

But for Kara Chaplin - who recently had a home birth - that was the only option she had.

READ MORE: Solution to youth crime 'starts in school', former offender says

"I had previously had two low-risk pregnancies with fast labours, so I knew that this baby was going to be a really quick labour," Kara told Today.

"I had three other children at home and this felt like the safest and only option I had - her birth was two hours in total so I knew I would not make it to Rockhampton Hospital."

Kara said it feels like women are being left with very few options and for a time that should be filled with love and excitement, too many mothers are filled with fear and stress.

"Is it safe for the women of Gladstone and Biloela to be labouring and birthing on the side of the highway in a place where there's no reception?" she said.

"What is it going to take for someone to take immediate action to fix this? Surely we don't have to lose a mother and a baby for this to be rectified."

READ MORE: Regional GPs forced to take on multiple roles

For Milena Barbagallo who is 38.5 weeks pregnant, the level of risk was too high for home birth to be an option.

So for the past week, she has been paying extra money to stay in a Rockhampton hotel with her family so she can be as close to hospital when labour starts.

"I think that real sense of choice is being taken away," she said.

"Gladstone had a midwifery group practice - I birthed my son through that three years ago and it was brilliant - but we have been robbed and I think that issue of safety is one of the biggest issues here as well."

See what else Kara and Milena had to say in the video above

Join the Today show family and give yourself the chance to win great prizes by signing up to our weekly newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox every Wednesday with a special message from Karl and Sarah. You can sign up for free here.