Dear List, Following our lobbying of the Canberra Times deputy editor last week, they put an opinion piece in Saturday's paper (19 Jan). Written by the health reporter Danielle Cronin. The article is very lazily written - basically reprinted every word from the Munro resignation article of the previous week, interspersed with a few paras from the various letters to the editor received from Justine, myself and Margie Perkins, an independent childbirth educator in Canberra.
The journalist is well can truly captured by the 'birth is inherently dangerous and we should all be grateful to obstetricians' brigade - despite our numerous attempts to brief her on the issues she persists in a view that it is a 'feminist issue' that women should be able to choose elective caesareans if they want them. We argued that we agreed it is all about choice, and that in Canberra 95% of women have no choice - they can have obstetric care or obstetric care, since the only available midwifery care is booked out from the first 10 weeks of pregnancy onwards. But this line did not appear in the article. One lives and learns in dealing with the media. At least we have indicated there are alternative views to the 'Obs are the only way to go' line so commonly put forward in mainstream media. regards Barb Dr Barbara Vernon National President Maternity Coalition. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
