Dear Liz
My heart goes out to you. Realising that this list is a public medium, what I am saying is what I would say to anyone in a similar situation. I have developed this approach from many years of working in Victorian public and private hospitals, and through my involvement with students of midwifery and qualified midwives who are unhappy with the restrictive environment they face in medically controlled maternity services in Australia. Most of us need to earn a living, and the reality for most is that a job in a hospital is better than no job at all. Anyone who is considering going into private midwifery practice, particularly in Victoria, should be aware that the legislation requires us to have PI insurance, which can�t be got as far as we know. Are you willing to defend yourself against a charge of unprofessional conduct?
A midwife who seeks to offer woman-centred care in a system that is not sympathetic to such notions needs to identify points at which she (or he) can use her skill, and maximise those �midwifery moments�. There are many women in the community, and some of their stories come through to this list, who question the system and will be forever grateful for the support of a midwife who offers a way in which she can negotiate the experience so that she (the woman) has a sense of making informed decisions. A good midwife works in partnership with the individual woman, even if she meets that woman for the first time when she is doing an agency shift, and probably will never see her again. This may be a woman whose baby is up to the eyeballs in a cocktail of narcotics, and can�t coordinate breastfeeding at 48 hours old. It may be a woman who is in an antenatal fetal monitoring clinic, and who has been told she �won�t be allowed to go past 38 weeks�. It may be a woman who has already had an induction (for what the midwife considers an unreasonable indication � but that isn�t important once it has been done).
If there is ever to be reform of maternity services in this country, it must be for all women � a well thought out starting point would be the National Maternity Action Plan.
The fact is (imho) that most Australian maternity services do not offer midwifery that is consistent with the internationally agreed definition of a midwife, or evidence of best practice/best outcomes. Simply put, we could improve our outcomes if we improved midwifery.
Tomorrow I am off to the LaTrobe Uni �Redesigning birth� workshop put on by the Women�s Studies program, to be followed by the �Performing Motherhood� conference on Friday and Sat. People wanting information on that (and the free lecture - Susan Maushart �Unmasking Motherhood� Thursday evening) can contact Louise Palmer [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Joy Johnston
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of elizabeth mcalpine
Sent: Wednesday, 3 July 2002 12:02 AM
To: ozmidwifery
Subject:
I was so happy to be involved in the new teamcare at a local hospital.�� Today, I spent time refreshing antenatal care, which hasn't changed in 70 years except for additional tests.� I felt that another day was unwarranted but the supervisor got a bit flighty - the education bit that I should hear was important to her.
I have been teaching women for 30 years.� I have been teaching women what I was taught; then, what I have unlearned.� Now, as a mother and grandmother, I have to listen to the education given by� people half my age - mainly non-mothers.�� I am a keen learner and have no objection to learning from those younger than I - if they know better.
�
I have studied for a degree in nursing - completed in 2001, � am currently studying post graduate adult education; have attended every conference� available which I can attend; am very well read, and I am well deindoctrinated.
�
Any advice appreciated because I do not want to jeopardize my job at this time.
�
thanks,
Liz
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