Canberra Times Article

[Justine Caines]

Title: Canberra Times Article

Hello All

Please find following my response to the Canberra Times Article.  I will send it this evening so any responses if it is too something or other would be appreciated, my lawyer husband is my defamation detector, just plug him in like spell checker!!!

I encourge the Bmid Collective to write.  I have not done this as MC but as an individual as we are in Gov negotiations at the moment, but a specific in relation to the Bmid would be fab!

In birthing solidarity

Justine Caines

PS: E-mailed letters are preferred (no typing! ) address: [EMAIL PROTECTED]

No attachments in text letter!

I refer to an article in CT (12/1/01) in relation to Obstetrics and in particular Heather Munro’s views.  Ms Munro’s views paint a very sad picture. The World Health Organisation suggests 85% of women are able to give birth naturally and that a midwife is the most appropriate and cost effective carer.  In Australia however the converse is the case with around 10% of women giving birth naturally.  The results can be disastrous.  The latest NH&MRC Maternal Deaths Report shows in the 1994-1996 triennium the number of preventable maternal deaths rose a staggering 70 % from 27 to 46. It is time that the majority of healthy pregnant women in Australia are no longer treated as sick and helpless. I welcome the resurgence of midwives trained solely for midwifery.  Think how much more skill they will have.

Many accepted obstetric practices such as episiotomy, elective caesarean and routine ultrasound are not based on evidence and show no distinct improvement in outcomes.   As a mother who had two normal pregnancies I knew best.  I contracted an Independent Midwife and had two beautiful natural births, unlike many of my friends.  Midwives are recognised as specialists in normal birth, Obstetricians specialists in abnormal conditions.  This is when we need their expertise.  In no other area of medicine are healthy people able to utilise very costly specialist services.  At the same time we have so many sick, needy people are unable to receive treatment.  WHY?

Justine Caines
Bungendore