Re: [ozmidwifery] Re: [NMAPAustralia] ABC News - Lobby grouppresses for nationalmidwifery program

[Marilyn Kleidon]

Title: Re: [ozmidwifery] Re: [NMAPAustralia] ABC News - Lobby group presses for nationalmidwifery program

OK! I was just clarifying the language thing. Forgive me, I have been contaminated by living in the USA. We did have a Midwives Lobby Day in the State of Washington where we (midwives and midwifery students, consumers, birth supporters) all turned out en mass to lobby the politicians in Olympia and we all lobbied (actually I didn't, not being an american, I supported). Anyway just goes to show the variability in the English language, oh and yes the Midwives Association of Washington State did have a paid lobbiest, we were unpaid. It's probably the American connection that makes it a dirty word here.   I wasn't suggesting we needed the permission of either the AMA or RANZCOG, I was trying to emphasise the commitment to collaborative care aspect of NMAP and the dialogue that needs to occur.   marilyn     ----- Original Message ----- From: Justine Caines To: OzMid List Sent: Wednesday, September 25, 2002 12:35 AM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Re: [NMAPAustralia] ABC News - Lobby grouppresses for nationalmidwifery program Lobbying is sort of a dirty word.  That�s why lots of successful lobbyists call themselves advocates.  Lobbyists can merely be paid guns, unlike the push for NMAP which is FOR consumers By consumers.  Politically there is a huge difference. I have no illusions about the AMA or RANZCOG etc coming on board and I don�t see it as appropriate.  We don�t need the boys permission.  What we do need is a commitment to collaborative care and over time a professional respect of midwifery.  Yeah, that will be hard enough with some I know!!! Justine So what is wrong with being a lobby group? In the current political climate isn't a lobby group essential? I also thought NMAP talked about collaborative management, when necessary, with Obstetricians and GP's? If we wait for the AMA to get onside, well...  Somehow we do have to explore this collaborative aspect of the plan, is midwifery care that threatening? I was at a Midwifery Symposium in Vancouver, Canada last May, where the head of the Canadian OBGYN group was speaking, she is a strong midwife supporter as is the head of their GP group. Neither were as thrilled with New Zealand's maternity programs as we are especially midwives being paid as much for normal births as OB's and GP's. Both felt it had led to the decline in numbers of GP's in NZ.  Anyway it was interesting to hear an OB and GP speak who weren't at all opposed to community midwifery care, but were also anxious to preserve their own professions. In Canada they were finding it hard to fill their OB and GP residencies, there is a real crisis in numbers of maternity care givers including midwives. I do think that somehow we have to find a way to work together that provides women with a spectrum of care to choose from. Excuse me if this sounds a bit gobbleygoobley, I am having a conversation with myself as I speak/write. marilyn ps: this was the conference:   Midwifery Symposium �Building our Contribution to Maternity Care�, Children & Women�s Health Centre of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C. V6H 3N1, Canada. May 1-3, 2002.