----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2002 9:27
PM
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] pregnancy
mag
Pinky,
I know it is saying the obvious to US but a
suggestion I have to offer which is something that I have noticed in an
alarmingly fashion is the belief that to avoid the 'horrors' of child birth
women can opt for major abdominal surgery (cs). What needs to be yelled
from the roof tops is "THAT THERE IS ALTERNATIVES TO HORRIFIC BIRTH AND
CS!!!" and that is continuity of care with a professional care provider
who believes in birth! That care provider doesn't always mean a doctor
or a midwife. You could try and get it through to women that they should
'shop around' for someone or a team of someone's who
believe in birth. Many critics say stupid things
like "you have to birth in a paddock like a cow" if you want a natural birth
(cant see the problem with this myself but hey, we are talking main
stream). Perhaps you could say that we as expectant mothers spend a
great deal of time and money creating a soothing, soft, peaceful nursery for
our babies, so why shouldn't we birth them in this same peace and
calmness??
Another thing that needs to be pushed is that
IT IS NOT THE DOCTORS RESPONSIBILITY TO GET THE
BABY OUT!!!!! Women need to know that are obligated by simply being
pregnant to take the responsibility of the child. The role of mother
doesn't kick in after you leave hospital...we have to make choices and
decisions for our children for many years. Mothers take a great deal of
time and effort in being healthy and making choices during pregnancy to 'keep
baby safe' but yet, when they birth baby, it is suddenly someone else's
problem!? You should tell readers that the doctor is there because
he/she is trained to deal with a problem should it arise...a midwife is there
to provide support and advice but the woman is the one who is the most
qualified to birth her baby.
Another thing....then I will get off my soap
box....
ONCE A CS DOESN'T MEAN ALWAYS A
CS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope any of this makes sense....it is late and
I am tired. I don't even know if I have answered any of you
questions...I am not sure you even asked any questions???!!!
Arg! I am going to hit the
hey.
Jo Bainbridge
founding member CARES SA
email:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]phone: 08
8388 6918
birth with trust, faith & love...
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2002 10:15
AM
Subject: [ozmidwifery] pregnancy
mag
Hi,
I have been asked to "update" (and add to) a
pregnancy tips magazine I wrote in 1996 - it is fairly conservative - the
brief at the time was purely "tips" and I actually took quite a lot
for granted that people naturally aspired to a natural birth - the brief at
the time was for "light" info.
Whether the climate has changed - ie
Caesarean/ intervention rate increase - or I am less naieve, this
time, I feel there is an urgent need to include more info re natural
birth and the reasons WHY it is best, and refute some of the fear
mongering - any suggestions for important topics that SHOULD be included/
will make a difference to birthing women who browse newsagents - ie not
necessarily women who actively seek information - or at least anything
other then the tripe that passes for informed choices!!
Please tell me so I can include this - I intend
to include interviews / birth stories too.
In my local A and R bookshop yesterday, there
was a prominent sign of top ten pregnancy and birth books - 1) Up the Duff,
2) Babylove (not birth or preg) 3) What to Expect When you are Expecting -
and so forth I cant remember the exact order from there, but it included
Toddler Taming (Neither pregnancy nor birh) and did include one book from
the Better Babies Series but nothing from Sheila K. Just the same old,
same old - I think it is a vicious cycle - because these are the books that
shops stock these are the ones that have to sell because they are on the
shelves and pregnant women arent aware what else is out there to ask for -
books that arent stocked can't be sold can they???So of course these "best
sellers" continue to be 'best sellers'. VERY sad!!
Maybe we should all visit bookshops and ask
-can you order??? (fill in the blank!!) there is no obligation to buy when
the book arrives but it will be on the shelf - or say "I am a midwife/
childbirth educator and I am disappointed that you dont stock XYZ - can
I give you a list of MY top ten birth and baby books!!!
Then refer your mums to the "Birth/
baby friendly"bookshop(s).
I need to put my own brief for this
magazine in "moronspeak" (according to my agent) for final approval by
the publisher(he is haggling) - am hoping to begin photography next
Friday too as my daughter has use of her college studio before it closes for
Christmas hols, so I need to organise some pregnant women - at least
have them on standby for photos. There is still the possibility that I will
not get the go-ahead for this project (they could take my brief and do it
in-house - I have had sneaky things like this done
before).
If anyone in Melbourne has happy healthy
mothers who would like pregnancy photos I would love to hear from them.
There is no payment/ budget for models but they can have photo copies at
cost.
All suggestions welcome.
Pinky
