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Sadly I can not help but agree with Tina's closing
arguement
To turn the tide midwives need to make a conscious
shift in their thinking about their willingness and ability to provide midwifery
led care….until they do I believe that doula's will only continue to grow in
popularity….as midwives continued alliance with the medicalisation of
birthing….only continues to serve 'the system'…not the women in their
care….
And as she said that is why women go to lactation consultants or
lactation consultants exist we were not helping the women to breastfeed respond
to their babies and their needs!
Same for CBE, Physios and all the others who have
stepped into pregnancy and birthing, because midwives are not with women, but
like nurses they start their careers and learn the doctors have or rather are
given the power and that includes the power of midwives!
Denise
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, September 06, 2002 10:32
PM
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Fwd: "The
Doula Craze"
In a message dated 9/6/2002 8:50:47 AM AUS Eastern Standard
Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
writes:
I hope to be able to get back to Brasil to do some more
workshops for your
nurses on the basics of being "with women". In the
meantime, I have written
a Diary entry http://www.birthinternational.com/diary/index.html
on
doulas that you might like to read. A bit controversial but I think
these things need to be said.
Look forward to seeing you
again!
Andrea
Dear Andrea…
Just to
add my two cents worth to the doula debate…I agree with your position on the
potential here to add another "layer of health professional" to our already
over medicalised maternity service….I too have great concerns about the
potential for hospital administrators to recognize the value of the doula to
the birthing woman (and more for their bottom line)…in preference to employing
more midwives….HOWEVER…having said all of that….I strongly support the work of
doula's to offer support for pregnant and birthing women….as Karen Arthur
argues so well…our current system doesn't allow midwives to provide the
continuous one-to-one support that doulas can provide….(roll on
NMAP!!)….Doula's can never detract from that much needed support of family and
friends….any doula worth her 'pinch of salt' would embrace the circle and
sanctity of family to enhance her work 'with woman'…..
I see the very
argument used here against the "doula craze" …could also be employed to that
of lactation consultants….childbirth educators (with all due respect Andrea)
parenting educators etc.. The proliferation of all these 'professionals' has
only served to create layer upon layer of 'professional' who all seem to have
assumed such knowledge that was once considered to be midwifery knowledge and
women's innate "ways of knowing"…….only to be slowly eroded away with the
medicalisation of pregnancy and birth and the advancement of all these so
called 'experts'.
In an ideal world…the professional doula…CBE's and
LC's, parenting educators etc etc…..would all be redundant. Women would live
and birth locally within their own communities with the local midwife/wise
woman in attendance…All this education and support…would be done informally as
part of the woman's preparation for birth…a community responsibly…integrated
throughout her life informed from life experiences….all normalizing the work
of labour, birth and motherhood….Sadly however…as we all know to well….this is
very much a romantic notion….as in today's society….birth like death has been
removed from our homes…our communities. We tend not to live by the seat of our
pants anymore…or follow our instincts or intuition…we live quite removed from
Mother Nature and all her splendors….
Our family dynamics are
different….the nuclear family has shrunk and in some circumstances been
totally reoriented…our extended family (mothers.. grandmothers…sisters… aunts
etc..) is diminishing…so our 'mother/wise woman' role models are now
few…Therefore women have little experience with pregnancy, birthing,
breastfeeding and parenting…through the lived experiences of others…It isn't
until they find themselves doing it, with no real guides or role models for
advice/counsel or support, that they seek out more formal avenues for
information support and advice…hence the proliferation of the "doula craze"
that you describe…
At this point in time… doulas are offering
women…what contemporary midwifery in this country cannot…a continuous
supportive presence during their labour and birth. As I see it, this is far
from "moves to undermine the humanizing of birth"…woman have taken steps to
humanize the experience for themselves and to devalue the doula in her
supporting role as "mothering the mother" ….is to devalue woman's right to
choice…when in our highly medicalised techno birthing world…choice is very
limited….
I see that professional doulas will continue to grow in
popularity in the absence of a strong and autonomous midwifery profession. In
countries where there is a strong autonomous midwifery profession…. where
midwives can offer that one-to one continuity of carer….professional doula's
are very few….To turn the tide midwives need to make a conscious shift in
their thinking about their willingness and ability to provide midwifery led
care….until they do I believe that doula's will only continue to grow in
popularity….as midwives continued alliance with the medicalisation of
birthing….only continues to serve 'the system'…not the women in their
care….
Yours in midwifery,
Tina Pettigrew
Bachelor of
Midwifery Student
Victoria
University.
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