----- Original Message -----
From: HomeMidwifery Association <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Thursday, August 19, 1999 2:48 PM
Subject: Consumers and ACMI
> Grrrrrrr,
>
> The HMA has been saying that loud and clear for 19 years - and we have
that
> partnership system in operation. It is totally different from the way most
> midwives practice, hence we are marginalised and dismissed as too radical
> (as Marie Barton pointed out) by "professional" organisations and by most
> members of this list.
>
> Get the picture.
>
> Sometimes I get really totally pissed off that we have a unique model
> running in our community and I go to these conferences and hear midwives
> talking about caseload etc etc. HMA mids and I have glanced knowingly each
> other because we already have what most of you talk about aiming for.
Nobody
> beleives that a hombirth organisation let alone a consumer driven group in
> partnership with midwives can accomplish this.
>
> To me the challenge is this: when will women stop buying into this being
> dominated by the "professionals" and realise that it is us, not you, who
> must decide whether we want professional midwives or not. If so, and if
not,
> then who do women elect to attend their births????
>
> We have a society that accepts a patriarchal concept that we (poor
victims)
> need super hero professionals. Crap. Turn it on it's head, ladies because
> when women grasp that it is the other way around, you have to change your
> practice totally. The partnership happens automatically because a
> cooperative or colaborative model is easier on women than an adversarial
> one. Women know this. Professionals do not. Especially when The Law Which
> Governs Your Professional Practice is based on an adversarial (non-woman
> centred) system.
>
> And midwives get frightened away from this organic community because they
> get bloody fingered by the professional organisations who never enquire
what
> the consumers want, just how midwives are not practicing according to
> procedure. All I feel right now is a big "fuck you" to this system which
> induces fear into all of us and towards all of us who insist on
perpetuating
> it.
>
> Working in a close community means that you will be challenged, not only
as
> midwives but as humans. It is a different practice when you are not
> anonymous but are known INTIMITELY by individuals and within a community.
> When people are encouraged to tell you directly what they did/not like
about
> your services. And when you HAVE to practice with respect to the clients'
> standards, or not practice at all.
>
> When people know what is in your heart the whole game changes.
>
> All this lip service (practiced by folks who are awed by and wish to
emulate
> "professionals" rather than remain approachable, warm and open human
beings)
> will be dismissed as just that.
>
> I can smell the fear...
>
> ...Small organic flexible informal organisations vs large formal rigid
> organisations. The larger an organisatin grows the more rigid it must
> become...
>
> Robbins et al 1998, Management
>
>
> Going away to calm down now.
>
> Marina
>
> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: "NSW Midwives Association Inc" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Fw: Consumers and ACMI
> Date: Wed, 18 Aug 1999 14:29:51 +1000
>
> <I don't hear the consumer groups out there saying "lets get out there and
> protect our midwives ," all that often, but then I could have been under a
> cabbage leaf somewhere at the time.>
>
>
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