[ozmidwifery] Pressure re ctg's etc

[Mary Murphy]

After replying to Joy's message I was thinking about where that "pressure in my head" came from.  It wasn't because I was afraid about the baby.  The movements were more than adequate, on palpation there was plenty of fluid.  All other obs were perfect.  Both of us felt that the baby was o.k. I think that the pressure  comes from a collective sense of responsibility when part of a larger birthing community.  The Community Midwifery Program is always under political pressure from the doctors to not put a foot wrong. Always defending us for our "un-orthodox"(ie non-interventionist)  practice.  My daughter is a client of that program and I am a midwife contracted to that program. Because of that it is always important for us to be seen to be doing the "right" thing.  I felt that we were more or less obliged to do what is assumed to be "right" by the mainstream community. (except for being induced at 7-10 days which is fast becoming the rule at our large teaching hospital). It is something for you all to think about when contemplating NMAP.  The gains outweigh the losses, but for midwives there is ALWAYS that loss of true autonomy, for the client a trade of a free homebirth,  for some subtle pressures, increased protocols and that sense of responsibility to make sure the Program itself is not damaged, for the greater good. On the whole the existance of the Community Program has been just wonderful and I urge you all to work towards it, but these are some of the drawbacks. Cheers, mary M