Dear Joy Is it possible for you to also forward to me a copy of the draft of the National Plan for Community Based Midwifery.
Thanks alot Lorraine Sharpe 'Goldfields Birthplace' ----- Original Message ----- From: Johnston <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: ozmidwifery <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2002 5:56 AM Subject: RE: activism > Dear Macha > It's music to an 'older' activist's ears to hear you say "I'd love to start > a natural birth and child care movement where I live!!!". You have taken > the first step. Please keep going. This group has the people and > knowledge to help you do just that. > > It is truly reprehensible that small community hospitals are closing > maternity services, and this has been happening for years. It goes against > world standards for best practice: > "The district is the basic unity for planning and implementing [maternity] > care" (WHO 1994 Mother-Baby package. Implementing safe motherhood in > countries.) > > You are correct in suggesting that midwives should be able to provide the > basic service for the majority of pregnant women throughout pregnancy and > birth and thereafter. That's what midwives are supposed to do. The women > who develop medical or obstetric complications may need to be transferred > to a bigger unit, and most of them will know that in advance of labour. > Closing local maternity units means that ALL women are treated as if they > have complications. Inductions for reasons other than acceptable medical > reasons become more common, often because distance of travel becomes an > issue, and the cascade of interventions sets in. > > If you are serious about starting a natural birth and child care movement, > see if you can find a couple of other women (consumers), a couple of > midwives who know how to practise under their own responsibility, and other > interested people who bring useful skills, and get a little community > action group going. You need to develop a plan to establish a midwife > managed unit, similar to a birth centre, with midwives taking caseloads. > Get someone to manage media exposure. If there are supportive doctors, they > can help, but you don't need them necessarily. (I'm sticking my neck way > out, but I stand by that statement!) Find support in the rural section of > the Health dept, and in Community Services. Make it a community issue. > Expect opposition, and plan ways to overcome it. Use the term 'Community > Based Midwifery', and get your community to own it. > > Link in with Maternity Coalition. We can't do it for you, but we can > support you. You may have read on this list of the National Plan for > Community Based Midwifery that is being developed - if you want to see the > draft, please contact me, or Barb Vernon. > > My advice is, GO FOR IT! > Joy Johnston > 25 Eley Rd Blackburn South Vic 3130 > Tel: 03 9808 9614 > Fax: 03 9808 3611 > M: 04111 90448 > www.aitex.com.au/joy.htm > > -----Original Message----- > From: Macha McDonald [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Monday, January 21, 2002 8:15 PM > To: ozmidwifery > Subject: activism > > << File: ATT00003.htm >> I'd love to start a natural birth and child care > movement where I live!!! > They may stop delivering at our local hospital (Cobram) because the obs > cant > afford the leap in insurance. I wander if people resorted to our many > midwifes, they could still deliver here. The problem is information. I > liken my learning of birth options to picking subjects in my final years of > school. "You have 10 minutes to submit your subject requests". > Essentially, 10 minutes to decide what you want to do with the rest of your > life. The GP said to me when I found out I was preg, "Which hospital will > you deliver in". Hold on. I haven't even come to terms with being preg > yet. So, I picked the nearest womens and childrens. And I regret it so > much. I wish I had said, I'll tell you in the next visit. I thought I was > expected to decide then and there. Unfortunatly, this is how many women > are learning about birth options. Going through awful invasive experiences > before they learn that they have choices. > Regards, Macha. > > -- > 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.
