What a thought provoking email! I agree with your sentiments and feel
that above all we must be compasionate. Ultimately the woman has to grow
to a point where she can forgive herself for allowing herself to be betrayed,
otherwise she has to keep doing what she did before, returning to the same OB
for more of the same treatment. It's a bit like women who bottle feed the
first baby and then feel guilty for the lack of help she got and the
misinformation given her. I don't know the answer, but supporting women so
they can recover is very much part of the whole problem/answer.
Regards, Mary Murphy
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, January 15, 2002 10:35
AM
Subject: Midwifery Resolution
"we need also to get out and talk to the mothers of what
could have
and should be!!"
I have found through talkng to women whom have had cs and told that "if
they didnt their baby would have died" (when in fact it is highly likely
that that may not have been the case...) they whole heartedly believe
because they cant not bring them selves to believe that those who are meant to
help us may actually have their own interests at heart other than the
woman's. If women are told that they may have been subject of F.O.L.
(fear of litigation) rather than F.T.P. or worse, that the fetal
distress that required the cs was actually cause because of being made
to lie on their back to be monitored (due to hospital plicy) etc. Then
you HAVE to ensure that there is a support for these women after they become
'enlightened'.
The danger is removing the ignorance wich is bliss and then leaving women
to get through it themselves. You can not go back in time and do things
differently and this is something that can cause a great deal of emotional
trauma.
I understand how frustrating it is when we hear those women say " but I
cant have the baby if the doctors not there!" (check out one of the
'quality' current affairs programs about a woman who gave birth in a car park
because there was no doctor avaliable...were there no midwives??? This
is/was going to air this week. It is only going to perpetuate the myth
that it cant be done without the doctor.)
I have no answers. I am as frustrated as you. When I
tell my birth story (my third bub) people say "oh, you were apart of the
minority: -6 hour labour, intact peri, breathed baby out, no drugs etc... In
fact an Australian study had only 9 women out of 242 gave birth with NO
MEDICAL PROCEDURES used during labour/birth.
3.7% Compared with the general stat of about
25% being cs, then those who do give birth natuarlly are
the minority.
The problem is that we all know that this shouldnt necessarrily be the
case, and that if women stopped placing their trust and the entire
responsiblity on the profession who are going to do what they have been
trainned to do...interevene, then it is not going to change.
We all know that this government will not see midwifery on an equally
respect level as ob; so all we can do is keep pushing.
Women are being used and manipulated by society, peers, fears,
television, lawyers, I could go on.... they are losing their ability to
birth naturally both physically (by this I mean the change in lifestyles has
resulted in more OP presenting bubs for example) and also EMOTIONALLY.
I think all I am saying is that if we are going to educate women to how
their births should/could be then we have to be responsible to those who have
been left feeling betrayed. Betrayal can cause a great deal of
psychological problems. Women as mothers are isolated enough in this
society.
Jo Bainbridge
founding member CARES
SA
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
phone: 08
8365 7059
birth with trust, faith &
love...
