|
Dear
Melissa... Please write to the health minister Wendy Edmond...she really needs
to hear your stories...and to know that groups such as yours exist...love to
you!! Vicki
Hi - I have been
lurking for a little while now, and after all the discussion on Birth Trauma
and c/secs etc, I felt I must come out of lurkdom and introduce
myself!
Firstly, for all the women who have been sharing their
traumatic experiences (Rhonda, Jo) - I am so very sorry for what you had to go
through to meet your babies. It breaks my heart. I am grateful for
your honesty - thank you.
I, too had a traumatic caesarean, three
and a half years ago. Actually, Cathy Cornack (who was interviewed on
the Dimensions program) asked me to be interviewed with her for the show...but
at that stage, I just couldn't do it. I was still too raw and grieving.
It took me 2.5 years to begin to grieve, and then it came out with a
vengeance. My story is so similar to Cathy's that we couldn't believe it
when we sat and compared notes : our babies were born a month apart, planned
Birth Centre birth in Sydney (we both have since moved to Brisbane), very long
labours, OP babies, non-supportive carers, sectioned at around 9 cms, no
post-natal support for the experiences, difficulties bonding, and
breastfeeding, and even just surviving every day.
I have since done a
lot of personal research, and a lot of crying, and a lot of talking, and
sharing on lists such as the ICAN (International Caesarean Awareness Network)
list and the hbac (Home Birth After C/sec) lists. It has been a long
road to healing. In fact Jenny Gamble, the midwife interviewed on NEw
Dimensions, was instrumental in my healing, as I spent about an hour crying to
her and sharing my story, in the early stages of my grieving. She really
helped me separate the grief from the trauma and made me aware that the trauma
would not go away on its own - it must be acknowledged and dealt
with.
So, anyway, now I have come such a long way, I have wanted to
share what I have learned, and help other women heal, or avoid what I went
through. So, along with my sister-in-law (a midwife and childbirth
educator), and a mutual family friend (a homebirth vbac mum), we have decided
to combine forces and start a positive birthing group.
Our group is
called "birthtalk : Sharing, Empowering, Celebrating Birth". We
aim to :
* provide a forum for women to share
their thoughts, expectations and experiences of birth
* empower women by
providing access to current and accurate literature &
information about
their birthing options
*encourage an atmosphere
of celebration of birth, and of ourselves as women.
We
had 10 women at the last meeting, 7 who have had caesareans, and 3 of those
women have had two c/sec births. All of these women have been
traumatised by their experiences except one (who was arguing right up until
theatre). We had one newly pg first time mum, and 2 home birth mums (one
was a vbac).
Actually, when we debriefed at the end of the
meeting, the first-time mum said that she had felt out of place at the start
of the meeting, then realised that she thought she could just be "taken care
of" and let the Dr look after her...but now realises that she is going to need
to read more, and take more responsibility, and be more informed. That
just sent a glow to my heart.
Anyway - just wanted to say hello - and
thank you to all of you for what you are doing to reform the way we birth, and
for having the courage to ask the questions.
Melissa
Bruijn
birthtalk meets monthly at Toowong, in Brisbane,
Australia
email us at :
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Melissa : ph (07) 3356 7449
Debby : ph (07) 3379 7424
Karen : ph (07) 3720
1101
|
