Hi ljg (whoever that may be) I'm a little at a loss to know where to start to reply to your email. Perhaps to direct you to the women involved in the AMAP project - Lesley Barclay, Sally Tracy, Kerreen Reiger who presented information at a forum in Sydney early November, including the FACT that Australian nurse-midwives are not internationally on an equal with English, European and New Zealand midiwves. This is not MY information, but theirs. Please contact Ruth Worgan re this issue on [EMAIL PROTECTED]
As far as the question re dealing with obstetric emergencies, I would hope that no homebirth midwife, either registered or not would be out there if she did not have the capacity to deal with basic emergencies. Do you really think that in my 20 years of work or Claire's 20 odd years or KL's 20 odd years or Alice's,Marion's, Joie's, Jenny's, Anne's, Wintergreen's and many others that we have not had to deal with emergencies?? For as long as the history of the world, there have been lay women helping others give birth, and I'd have to say a lot more effectively than happens now. God help us all if 22% of women 'needed' c/sections then!! The way most lay midwives gain their work is not by standing on their credentials and their so-called 'professionalism', but by recommendations within their community, and often also with recommendations from GPs who recognise the value of the work they do. At the forum in Sydney, it was openly discussed that the standards of midwifery education existing in Australia are of the minimum. Is that what women deserve or do they deserve midwives who work with the highest standard of care?? So when you say you have 'many years of insisting on high standards of care,' what exactly does this mean? Have you ljg, ever met a lay midwife or asked her about her many years of training/education/apprenticeship or watched her at work?? Have you met Ina May Gaskin or Elizabeth Davis (who incidentally was the keynote speaker at the ACMI conference in 1999). Both these midiwves worked as lay midwives for many years before establishing the program that recognises their competence, and Ina May is still under fire from her state authorities. Have you ever attended a homebirth? It doesn't sound like it. I was made aware last week of a situation where a woman was transferred from a low level hospital to a major one, was pushing in the ambulance, arrived at the hospital and was assessed only by the registrar, the obs was waiting for her 'upstairs' and everyone was nervous (he wielded the power), she was given an epidural against her wishes and irrespective to the pleas from her support team, was sectioned and the baby had to be dragged backwards out of her pelvis by the attending obs with forceps. A drugged, major surgical welcome into the world for that baby, and major surgical trauma to the mum. Our c/section rate is still climbing ljg. is this ok?? Did this obstetrician with all his 'formal training' respond appropriately to this woman's needs and the needs of her baby?? What sort of care is this, and is this what you support over the gentle and safe and effective care of lay midwives and other homebirth midwives in Australia?? Lay midwives have evolved in Australia and The USA because of the lack of direct entry programs, for one thing. And now that the B(Mid) is being introduced, and there is the opportunity for lay midiwves to have their knowledge validated, the 'professionals' involved in setting up these courses are refusing to grant us credit for our life's work!! So, for your request for full references - the info on lay midwives stats: "Homebirths in Australia 1988-1990" Hilda Bastian and Paul A.L. Lancaster AIHW Nat Perinatal Stats Unit, Sudney 1992, p 13 And for the statement about Australian midwives lack of equal credentials with the UK, Europe and NZ, please ask Ruth to give you the details. And I'd have to finish by saying that judging credentials in midwifery service is like every other area of health care - there are charlatans everywhere - in all walks of life, and it is up to the discerning and intelligent consumer to tell the true practitioners apart from the others - be they doctors or obstetricians or midwives, lay or registered, or homeopaths or whatever!! In peace, Sue Cookson > > Dear Sue and list > Surely you are not suggesting that anyone who wishes to do so, may call > themselves "midwife" . Surely if this were to happen then your wonderful > perinatal statistics would increase ! I am inclined to be slighlty insulted > by the idea that any person may call him or herself a "midwife", expect to > "sit a state exam etc", become a Reg midwife,( without all the hard slog > that many of us have done over the years) and practice - I am sorry but > where is the line drawn - how much practical experience must one have before > expecting to be taken on as a Professional midwife? This would open the > doors to anyone practicing midwifery, and because of the lack of regulations > regarding lay midwifery, those doors may very well bring people who have no > experience ! And that is frightening ! > I also find slightly amazing your remarks about the International lack of > acceptance of Australian Midwifery qualifications. (And I will bite my > tongue if someone comes up with some significant literature to prove the > same). I apologise for my abruptness, but after many years of insisting on > high standards of care, I just can't quite grasp the concept that anyone may > chose to practice midwifery without formal training and be suprised when > they are prosecuted for breaking a law?? I find it difficult to get my head > around how a person with no formal training is able to deal with say, an > emergency during birth such as a massive antepartum haemmorhage or a very > flat babe ? And don't go and tell me it doesn't happen in homebirths you > guys !! > As Trish mentioned, it is not that I don't believe there are incredible, > experienced competent lay midwives out there but how as consumers of > birthing services,do we know this without formal qualifications or education > ? I also think it is wonderful that Claire has decided to partake in a > formal programme, as she will be a incredible asset to the profession ! > > PS Sue would it be possible, please to post a full reference of the > literature you cited, as would like to peruse same. Ta! -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
