----- Original Message ----- From: "Johnston" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Dawn Worgan'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, November 01, 2002 3:37 PM Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] Obstetric Perception - Your thoughts?
> Dear Dawn > I'm not able to reply to the ozmid list, as I am not registered. However > I saw your response, and am glad you have spoken in favour of midwife > continuity of care. Please feel free to forward this to the list - if > you wish. > > I am not surprised at the direction this discussion has taken, but I am > very disappointed. In my experience many of those who simply couldn't > possibly work on call for just a few women a month have never tried it, > yet they are willing to speak out against it. Even when 4 babies are > born in a week, the midwife can only be in one place at one time, and > has to have arrangements to deal with such times. There is a lot of > discretionary time in which the midwife has control over what she does, > and is able to read and write and counsel and all those other things we > do. > > Why is it that women do better with a known midwife? Surely that should > carry some weight for a professional in deciding how she/he should > manage time. > > Another point in this discussion that noone seems to have picked up is > the subtle put-down of midwives by the doctor who "supports midwifery > models of care, particularly those that offer integrated choice so that > midwives and obstetricians". That's just using language - "integrated > choice" - to maintain the status quo of medical control. This is the > argument that many obstetricians have been dishing up for years. > "Collaboration" is another way of saying the same thing. What other > specialist doctor offers an integrated choice - like so that the school > teacher and the psychiatrist can work together at the primary teaching > level in case the kids develop psychiatric illness. > > I'm not anti-doctor. When an obstetrician is needed I want someone who > is clear thinking, objective, and highly skilled. I want her/him to > look with fresh eyes at the whole woman-child, and give specialist > advice and care. I do NOT want an obstetrician to supervise the > practise of midwifery. > > I hope that when NMAP is implemented there will be enough midwives who > are willing to give it a go. (I declare my interest here, as one of the > contributing authors) Midwives who hold strongly to a hospital/nursing > identity may in the future need to prove that they have the right to use > the title 'midwife'. We in Australia can't afford to ignore > contemporary midwifery competence in the global scene, especially if we > care about the health and wellbeing of those in our care. > > As you know the reality for most midwives is that even if they would be > willing to work as primary carer for a known group of women our system > prevents them. I have had my own practice for the past decade, and I > have loved my work. I don't always have another midwife booked to attend > the birth with me, and I take up to 4 births per month. I now have had > to quit, due to the insurance crisis. > > That's my thoughts for now, > Joy Johnston > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:owner-ozmidwifery@;acegraphics.com.au] On Behalf Of Dawn Worgan > Sent: Friday, 1 November 2002 10:22 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Obstetric Perception - Your thoughts? > > Debby M wrote: > > > I have recently been corresponding with a friend of mine who is an > > obstetrician. He supports midwifery models of care, particularly > > those that offer integrated choice so that midwives and obstetricians > > can work together. > > > > He did state to me however that he believes one of the great obstacles > > > to such models is the reluctance of most midwives to work other than > > an 8 hour shift, and to possibly have to do away with family time and > > holidays and to be called out at odd hours to attend births. > > > > I am sure there are probably some out there that do like the straight > > forwardness of shifts however I would be interested to hear the > > opinion of you ladies (and gentlemen) about your experience of the > > dedication of midwives when they are expected to provide ongoing > > antenatal, birth and postnatal support - outside the normal 8 hour > > shift, as my gut feeling is that the majority of midwives would love > > the opportunity to be able to fully use their skills in the support > > and care of pregnant and birthing women without unnecessary "guidance" > > > or interferrence. > > > > Debby > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > Protect your PC - Click here <http://g.msn.com/8HMREN/2024> for > > McAfee.com VirusScan Online -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE > > Graphics. Visit to subscribe or unsubscribe. > > I work in a caseload model of care which means on call plus all the > things you mentioned, and personally I love it (most of the time) but > when we are looking for other midwives to replace us for long service > leave or whatever, we cant get midwives interested and we often have > comments like "I dont know how you do it!" or" I have a life outside > work" (so do I is my reply I fit work in around my life not the other > way around) but its a long standing culture we need to work at changing > my hope lies in the new direct entry midwives who believe what I do is > the norm !So though I wish it wasn't the case I think your friend is > right. > > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > > --- > Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.410 / Virus Database: 231 - Release Date: 31/10/2002 > > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.410 / Virus Database: 231 - Release Date: 31/10/2002 > > > > -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. 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