Hi Jayne Yes I have adone and will continue to do so.Leigh ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jayne" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, December 15, 2001 4:53 PM Subject: Re: Support homebirth on Thursday
> I always remember and believe what a very dear friend of mine from overseas > who considers herself a traditional birth attendant said to me - that she > would be joyous for any woman giving birth alone and that the best test of > her usefulness and the study she has undertaken would be the woman that she > has helped to educate in pregnancy to be so trusting in herself and birth to > do it herself. She says that would be the best job that she could do. > > So Jan and other midwives (especially those attending homebirths), how do > you feel about these women (couples) that are well informed and confident in > their own birthing capabilities and do 'freebirth'/birth unassisted? > > If they required/requested any care during pregnancy, would you consult with > them? > > Just curious for future reference! > > Jayne > > > > > > Please don't get too carried away with sanctimonious pretentiousness about > > the midwife's title and role ... there are far too many 'midwives' who > have > > "completed the prescribed course of studies in midwifery" unable or > > unwilling to get involved in maternity programs that provide women with > true > > choices. They certainly are not prepared to practise in any setting as > > described in the definition. > > Others who continue studying within advanced courses in midwifery studies > > often find their involvement in academia and research leads to them > working > > completely outside the clinical arena or otherwise apart from pregnant > > women, with subsequent inability to take on their own caseload. What a > loss > > to our profession! > > > > The number of couples requesting 'free births' are now increasing in > western > > communities and that must leave midwifery with the message that > 'management' > > of the birthing process is NOT what is wanted by those who are well > informed > > and confident of their own birthing capabilities. > > > > Our profession could well do to arrange workshops for sharing knowledge > and > > skills with lay midwives before they all start to be taken before the > courts > > and we lose the opportunity to move forward in midwifery together. > > > > Jan Robinson > > > > > > > > > > > >> > > >> While Claire Brassard may be a very competent birth attendant (I have > no > > > way of > > >> knowing either way), and there may be other 'traditional' birth > attendants > > > out > > >> there, I cannot support such a protest until such time as we have > > > recognition of > > >> their knowledge and skills against the same criteria that formally > > > prepared > > >> midwives do. > > >> > > >> In all States and Territories and in most countries around the world > the > > > word > > >> 'midwife' is a protected title. This means that only those people who > meet > > > their > > >> country's criteria to be recognised as a midwife can be called a > midwife > > > and can > > >> practise under law as a midwife. The QNC has no option but to take this > > > action > > >> because neither it nor any other regulatory authority in Australia has > the > > > power > > >> to 'recognise' these women as midwives. > > >> > > >> I reiterate, this is irregardless of their level of knowledge, skill > and > > >> experience, and many of you would argue that some of these women would > run > > > rings > > >> around us formally educated midwives. That is as may be. But how does > > > anyone > > >> know for sure? With no standard against which they can be measured for > > > minimum > > >> requirements to competence? > > >> > > >> I therefore suggest that it is self-defeating to ask for an individual > to > > > claim > > >> the title 'midwife' and the right to practise as such when there is no > > > statute, > > >> and no caveat that will allow it. Rather it would be more to the point > to > > > try to > > >> create the process that would recognise 'other' ways of entering the > > > profession > > >> besides formal studies. USA managed this process. It will be costly and > > >> time-consuming and might fail. But it is imperative to protect the > right > > > of > > >> women to have a standard of midwife, because if the standard can vary > > > greatly > > >> across formal programs when there are all sorts of processes in place > to > > > enforce > > >> them, then the standard for those without formal training and education > > > can vary > > >> even more greatly..... But we will never know because they are never > > > measured. > > >> And anyone could lay claim to the title 'midwife'. And that is not a > > > situation I > > >> would like to see happen. > > >> > > >> Women might want choices, but they want and deserve some assurance that > > > the > > >> choices they make are from safe alternatives. They must trust the > > > profession to > > >> regulate itself in their interests because not every woman has the > > > resources to > > >> investigate each birth attendant herself. This is actually working > quite > > > well, > > >> and the processes put in place to begin national standardisation in the > > > last > > >> couple of years will assure that it works even better in the future. It > is > > > hoped > > >> women will have a greater say in how these processes work and what > > > standards > > >> will be met from now on. And that might include recognition of 'lay' or > > >> 'traditional' birth attendants as midwives. > > >> > > >> Just my thoughts, and with greatest respect to individuals referred to, > > > who may > > >> indeed be the safest attendant possible. Trish David. > > >> > > >> Toni Cannard wrote: > > >> > > >>> Dear Ozmidwifery People, > > >>> > > >>> Claire Brassard, a traditional midwife, (read not a registered nurse > or > > >>> midwife) is being banned from giving care to pregnant women by the > > >>> Queensland Nursing Council (QNC). > > >>> > > >>> The e-mail that follows tells you how you can participate in a > Brisbane > > >>> Protest tomorrow to give the press, media and pollies the following > > > message: > > >>> > > >>> "Women want choices. Women who choose homebirth want the option of > > > choosing > > >>> a traditional midwife." > > >>> > > >>> Time to stand up and be counted - do we support women having free > choice > > > or > > >>> do we only support women choosing from the the options we would like > > > them to > > >>> have? > > >>> > > >>> Working for true choice, > > >>> > > >>> Toni Cannard > > >>> Vice President > > >>> AIMS Australia Inc (Association for Improvements in the Maternity > > > Services - > > >>> A consumer action group) > > >>> > > >>>> From: "Bruce Teakle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >>>>> Subject: Support homebirth on Thursday > > >>>> Date: Tue, 11 Dec 2001 15:21:50 +1000 > > >>>> > > >>>> > > >>>> Bruce Teakle > > >>>> Lindsay Rd > > >>>> Mt Glorious 4520 > > >>>> Ph 07 3289 0231 > > >>>> > > >>>> Dear supporters of homebirth, > > >>>> > > >>>> You should know by now that Claire is going to court on thursday,13 > th > > > of > > >>>> december for the Supreme court to force her to cease caring for > > > pregnant > > >>>> women. > > >>>> > > >>>> There is a telephone process underway to get as many supporters to > the > > >>>> Brisbane Court by 9.15 am on thursday morning as possible. Please > think > > >>>> about who you know who might come to support our right to a "SAFE, > > >>>> RESPONSIBLE, CARING" choice in birthing, and put out the word. It's > > > just > > >>>> fine if people hear more than once. > > >>>> > > >>>> The Theme > > >>>> > > >>>> There are several purposes to our gathering. > > >>>>> 1. To farewell Claire from our service, and grieve for the loss of > her > > >>>>> care. > > >>>>> 2. To celebrate the spirit of midwifery and its long tradition. > > >>>>> 3. To bear witness to the action of the state in denying us Claire's > > > care. > > >>>>> 4. To express our dissatisfaction with the poor service of our > > > political > > >>>>> servants in regard to respecting women's right of choice in > birthing. > > >>>> Hopefully this will include some coverage by the media, and we are > > > working > > >>>> at getting that to happen. > > >>>> > > >>>> The Image > > >>>> > > >>>> We will look (and be) powerful, in a way which is most likely to make > > > our > > >>>>> political servants take notice. > > >>>> > > >>>> I propose that we behave somewhat like we are seeing off the queen > > > (Claire > > >>>> is not the queen, actually sometimes she's just very naughty. > > >>>> However.....). For some of us Claire is the person who has given us > > > the > > >>>> sort of loving care we are seeking in birth. For others, she may > > > symbolise > > >>>> the care we have had from another midwife or even what we think women > > >>>> deserve. What we express in love and respect for Claire is symbolic > of > > > our > > >>>> feelings about the >model of care we seek. > > >>>> > > >>>> So let us dress and perform as if we are farewelling the queen. > > > Flowers, > > >>>>> children, kisses, tears, families, our best clothes. > > >>>> > > >>>> Don't get me wrong, this isn't wet and weak, this is a demonstration > of > > > the > > >>>> state interfering in the lives of ordinary loving families, for no > > > reason, > > >>>> and that does not look good. > > >>>> > > >>>> The Routine > > >>>> > > >>>> We turn up at 9.15. We can't afford to be late. Don't forget this is > > > the > > >>>> city at peak hour, and driving in, and finding parking is a slow, > > > terrible > > >>>> and expensive business. Consider taking the train from somewhere > > >>>> convenient. The court is equal distances from Central and Roma > street > > >>>> stations, both are very close. > > >>>> > > >>>> We arrive, assemble outside the court building, and prepare for > > > Claire's > > >>>> arrival soon after 9.30. When Claire arrives she walks the aisle we > > > prepare > > >>>> for her, kissing and farewelling. This is when our photo > opportunities > > > are, > > >>>> when we all need to be there and prepared. > > >>>> > > >>>> She goes into court with her barrister and those of us who can go in > > >>>> (without children) to witness the proceeding. The court proceedings > > >>>> (everyone already inside and assembled) should start at 10.00 and > take > > > 10 > > >>>> minutes. > > >>>> > > >>>> Claire will then have finished her 22 years of renegade traditional > > >>>> midwifery. > > >>>> > > >>>> What next? I don't know. I'll let my beard grow back, and we can get > > > back > > >>>> to normal (whatever that was) for a few weeks. > > >>>> > > >>>> We certainly have a big job to do in january, with the competition > > > policy > > >>>>> stuff and so on, and preparing to get back onto our representative's > > >>>> agenda's after their holidays. This is a big task we have embarked > on, > > > and > > >>>> we won't be letting go. > > >>>> > > >>>> See you there on thursday. > > >>>> > > >>>> Best wishes from Bruce. > > >>> > > >>> _________________________________________________________________ > > >>> Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at > > > http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp. > > >>> > > >>> -- > > >>> This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > > >>> Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > > >> > > >> -- > > >> This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > > >> Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > > > > > > -- > > > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > > > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > > > > -- > > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. 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