RE: midwifery resolution

[Macha McDonald]

This is so true.  I was involved with feminist groups at uni…who even fought for a private room in which to breastfeed and express etc…and won….but little is talked about the dangers of medical birth.  Even before I got pregnant, I was very progressive and all for women’s rights.  But, due to lack of information, my pregnancy and birth experience was like rape.  I feel like I didn’t even give birth or go into labour (induced, ARM, epidural, ventouse & episiotomy – cascade of intervention).  I think the natural birth movement defiantly needs to target young ladies, and even teens in some way to get the message across that midwives attend births, obstetricians should only come in when things go desperately wrong.    -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Lois Wattis Sent: Friday, 18 January 2002 4:07 PM To: Dean & Jo Bainbridge Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: midwifery resolution   What a great opener at a lecture to gain attention....  Can I use this line at active birth or antenatal opportunities please?  Well said, Jo.  Regards, Lois ----- Original Message ----- From: Dean & Jo Bainbridge To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2002 1:42 PM Subject: midwifery resolution   I agree that the lack of understanding of even who the midwife is is wide spread.  I agree that the more women know about the benefits of midwifetry based care the more can start demanding them.  I am also aware of the lack of support and understanding from the community for those women who after becoming educated are left emotionally damaged (so to speak). Perhaps another avenue would be to also try and get the option of midwifery led care increased in the private sector?  Many women take out private insurance solely for the births of their children.  The options of care is singular -ob in the private sector.   Perhaps we could sell the benefits of mw led care lower interevntions thus lower costs to them the insurance companies.  It has always baffled me that if I had car insurance but lived in a high risk area then my insurance would cost more; why is it that the health insurance companies do not investigate the massive difference between intervention rates (thus increased costs -longer stays etc) between public and private births? I am unsure how this would work with the midwifery insurance problem though.  I am also unaware of the politics involved with private hospitals.   I am not citicising informing women of the greener grass at all; I am contiually trying to think of 'under the radar' ways to sell the benefits of less medical births.     Maybe we should get involved with feminist groups at universities and enlighten them and get the reality of what happens in the birthing room out there.  I am continually amazed at how young intellegent women whom I have met through gender studies courses and so forth, have very little understanding about child birth.  they think it is yucky because it ruins your sex life and changes you "down there" (some of the things that have been discussed in some of my classes).  They dont seem to realise that the episiotomy is commonly preformed for male convienece!  Surely that is something for these women to get up in arms about.  The feminists have always been willing to jump up and down about the rights over their own bodies, but after they leave uni and get jobs they are in the highest group for private insurance, older births and higher interventions.  the rights over their bodies only seem to stem to their demands for the cs...why is that? I did a talk at uni last year that followed a talk on rape.  I began mine with "..oh did anyone catch the story of the woman yesterday who was drugged, starved, strapped down, had her vagina repeatedly invaded, she was mutilated, objects inserted into her AND to make things worse she was 9 months pregnant!!!"  everyone was up in arms and really upset by this.  Then I told them that it happens in labour rooms everyday and nobody considers this abuse??  Infact we often passivley allow it to happen. It got them thinking. Any thoughts?? Jo Bainbridge founding member CARES SA email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] phone: 08 8365 7059 birth with trust, faith & love...