Re: Independent Midwives

[Andrea Bilcliff]

This bounced so I'm sending it again. Sorry if I've confused anyone with my earlier message.   Dear Senator Eggleston, I read with much interest your response to Suzanne Cooper (copied below). I agree entirely, that women have a responsibility to their unborn child to ensure that the services of modern medical skills and technology are available if needed. Healthy pregnant women choosing to birth with a midwife at home or in the hospital should not be denied access to such care IF NEEDED. Governments ALSO have a duty to ensure that women have unrestricted access to this care. Unfortunately, this is not the case in Australia. Healthy pregnant women who make the informed choice to birth with independent midwives are saving the Government thousands of dollars in often unnecessary & expensive antenatal testing and screening, interventions, and the resultant morbidity associated with them. Yet they are often denied access to back up medical care and their midwives are refused visiting rights. Now the midwives are being denied access to insurance! Many of the complications associated with birth in healthy women are as a result of interfering with the natural process. Midwives respect the natural process and are highly skilled in 'normal' pregnancy and birth. They can recognise deviations from 'normal' and refer when needed. Obstetricians are highly skilled in the 'abnormal'. Midwives recognise and respect this expertise. Unfortunately midwives are not afforded the same respect and recognition. Are you suggesting that in the "modern world" there is no place for the natural process? That all women should have their babies extracted by instruments or surgically removed? Or are you suggesting that obstetricians should support women in labour continuously for the 12, 24 or however many hours it takes? I'd like to see that! I strongly recommend that you read the world-wide evidence that supports the safety and cost effectiveness of midwifery. You are right...this is 2001 not 1701. It is about time Australia looked at what is happening out there in the "modern world"! Yours sincerely, Andrea Bilcliff. -----Original Message----- From: Eggleston, Alan (Senator) <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: 'Sue Cooper' <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Thursday, July 19, 2001 2:44 PM Subject: RE: Independent Midwives YOU SHOULD THANK THE LORD YOU DID NOT HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS SUCH AS A SHOULDER DYSTOCIA OR A HAEMORAGE ... WOMEN HAVE REWPONSIBILITY TO THE UNBORN CHILD TO ENSURE THAT THE SERVICES OF MODERN MEDICAL SKILLS AND TECHNOLOGY ARE AVAILABLE IF NEEDED. THE INSURANCE PREMIUMS PAID BT DOCTORS ENGAGED IN OBSTETRICS ARE SO HIGH BECAUSE THE ELEMENT OF RISK IS SUCH THAT IF THERE IS ANY SUGGESTION OF SUBSTANDARD SERVICE COURTS WILL AWARD PUNITIVE DAMAGES. IF MIDWIVES WANT TO PRACTISE IN THE MODERN WORLD THEY SHOULD DO MEDICINE BECOME DOCTORS AND TRAIN AS OBSTETRECIANS. THIS IS 2001 NOT 1701.