Hi All,
I have just joined the casual pool of a very large hospital and am very disappointed to hear that labouring women are not allowed to even use the spa baths (provided in every ensuite) whilst in labour.
Does anyone have any ideas of how I can go about making change!!!???
I realise I am new to the hospital (and new to Mid) but just cannot understand it if strict guidelines are in place and used. I looked at their policy on their Intranet and it is extremely detailed, so why can't I go by this???
Liza
Dear Liza
Who knows why you can’t go by the policy? Perhaps the staff prefer it that way.
Your staff may need to attend a workshop on waterbirths before feeling confident in attending them.
There is a good waterbirth seminar coming up at Byron Bay in October at the NSWMA Annual State Conference.
It has been my experience that change only comes when consumers demand it.
Get to the women who are booked into your hospital when they do their preparation for birth classes – emphasize the value of water for pain management (as opposed to epidurals). Show them Shea Caplice’s video “The Art of Birth”. There is also a very good video on waterbirths from the John Radcliffe Memorial Hospital at Oxford.
Once couples see these videos they can understand how empowering the water is to the woman.
When you take the couples for a tour of the labour ward to see the spas and they hear the sad story about not using YOUR hospital baths they will be willing to write to the hospital board to change things.
See if you can get the childbirth educator on side to show waterbirth videos in class when discussing pain management.
Jan Robinson
