|
A workshop
will be held at the University of Newcastle this Saturday to discuss ways
to promote drug and surgery free natural birth.
Workshop
organiser, Professor Kathleen Fahy from the School of Nursing and
Midwifery, says childbirth is the only area of our health system where
most of the people cared for don�t have a medical problem.
�We would like
to see more emphasis on natural child birth process attended by trained
midwives, leaving specialist obstetricians to care for women who need
their expertise when a problem occurs,� said Dr Fahy.
�For
more than 80% of women, pregnancy and childbirth are normal and straight
forward and midwives are the experts in normal pregnancy and
childbirth."
�Research
shows the present system leads to a much greater incidence of surgical
births (forceps, vacuum extraction and caesarean section) often resulting
in damage to the woman�s body without any improvement in the outcomes for
the baby.�
The workshop
will examine ways the community can provide additional services to mothers
including home births through the John Hunter Hospital.
�The new
option that we�d like to discuss is the �midwifery continuity of care�
model,� said Professor Fahy, �where the midwife meets the woman early in
the pregnancy and provides her with all her antenatal, labour, birth and
postnatal care up to six weeks after the birth.�
�The benefit
is that most of this midwifery care can be provided in the woman�s own
home where she feels safe and in control. The continuing care allows the
midwife and the expectant mother to form a relationship of
trust.�
�We have found
that women who give birth using the continuity of care model have the
lowest surgical birth rates and the highest rates of satisfaction with
carers without any increased risk.�
Speakers at
the workshop include; Justine
Caines Maternity Coalition Activist; Dr Andrew Bisets Obstetrician and
Lecturer; Anne Saxton Service
Manager John Hunter Hospital; Denise Hynd Midwife Activist; Karen Arthur Hunter Homebirth
Group and Bruce Teakle Birth
Activist.
| 