Dear Jan, Now that is what I always dreamed midwifery would be like! Lovely stories - thanks for sharing.
I've been the Health Manager atCurtin Detention Centre for the past two years (just followed it with an 8 months recovery). Curtin is closed now but my contract was not renewed before the closure because I was objecting to the human rights abuses of the women under my care - especially of the pregnant women. I'm now doing agency nursing in Brisbane while I look for a new midwifery team to join. I'm hoping to refresh my clinical skills. I was very hands off in the detention centre because I was a bloke (with the usual management issues to deal with) and most of the women were Muslim. I had a great team of nurses and midwives at Curtin and we did our best despite the political environment. Our logic of staying with the work was that despite the politics these people were still entitled to good health care. thanks again for the inspiring story. Michael --- Jan Robinson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Hi Rosemary > > Congratulations to you and the lucky family who had > the Australia Day baby. > What a shame the little one was not born in it1s own > home right in the Red > Centre of Australia. Would have given the > politicians and Dof H officials > something to ponder on in terms of aboriginal land > rights! > > Good luck with your women in the New Year. Yes, it > can happen that women > sometimes can1t wait. > I had three women in labour all in the one night a > few years ago and feel it > may happen to me again as my expected �Christmas > Baby1 has still not arrived > and there are two more waiting for New Year1s > honours. It1s like sitting on > top of a volcano about to erupt as I still have > vivid memories about my > three women birthing together a few years ago. > > My story of 3more than one mum2 began when I was > driving to KGV to meet a > client who was three weeks overdue and had taken > herself to KGV to have > prostin inserted by their KG labour ward staff on > the understanding that I > would accompany her home and monitor her until she > had the baby. > > That was OK .. It was early evening and I was > expecting a quick birth .... > but while driving to the hospital to meet my prostin > induced client, I > received another phone call letting me know another > client (due next week) > was in STRONG labour and way on her way to the KGV > Birth Centre. She hadn1t > let me know when labour started as she thought she > was just �niggling > around1 and now it had suddenly caught her out. > > I was only five minutes from the Birth Centre too so > both our cars pulled > into the parking lot at the same time. I assisted my > client to the door of > the KGVBC between massive contractions and caught > her baby as she stepped > over the door step. > 3Good catch2, she said. > We walked to our allotted room with the baby in her > arms and the placenta > came out as she stepped through the next doorway. > > I got busy checking out the baby and the placenta > after making the mother > comfortable and before getting her some refreshments > sent a message to KGV > labour ward upstairs that I was on the premises and > would be up there > shortly. > My client (now contracting strongly) had other > ideas and told the labour > ward staff she would come down to the BC and wait > for me to accompany her > home. > > She sat herself down in the next room with her > husband and support person, > and decided that with all the sounds coming from the > parents and the new > baby and me, it would be prudent to tone her > contractions down a bit and her > �singing noises1 became less spontaneous. > I was glad she became quieter as I then had to take > another phone call from > a primigravida client who was almost due (and > fortunately in the next > suburb). She told me she had been labouring since > early evening and now > needed me to attend her. > > A quick call to my backup midwife (Hilary) bought > much valued assistance. > She came to the birth centre and borrowed an oxygen > cylinder from their > stock and went off to support and monitor the > primigravida who lived in the > next suburb, Redfern. Hilary1s helping me was at > great cost to her social > life, as she had to get her husband out of bed to > drive her to the Birth > Centre and then to Redfern (her car was in for > repairs) > > With Hilary organised, my newly delivered client > stating she would be OK to > go home with her husband, I promised to come to to > house to see her sometime > in the daylight hours and she happily departed. > > When I returned from seeing the happy couple off, > my prostin induced woman > was very quiet and composed and said she had stopped > contracting, so with > her husband and support person (who had been the > birth team for both of her > other two children) started to make our way home to > her place at Denistone > North. We hoped the car trip would probably start up > the contractions again. > However, they didn1t return, they remained dormant > but this woman was so > happy to have her original birth support team all > together in the house > again! > > It was now about 4am and as Hilary reported that > 3everything was going > smoothly at Redfern2 I decided I would sleep on the > floor beside my client > while she had a rest. Her best friend decided to go > home and have a sleep > and I said I would call her if labour started up > again. > > The two children started to stir when they heard us > come home and the > kookaburras started singing so her husband decided > he would take the them to > their grand- mothers place for the day to give his > wife a chance to > establish labour in peace. She proceeded to freshen > up with a shower and get > into bed for a rest so I make her and myself a cup > of tea and ushered her > husband and children out the door. > > We were both sipping tea and talking about the > events of the night. My > client confided in me she had deliberately stopped > her contractions at the > Birth Centre because she knew I could not totally > focus on her while I was > attending to another new baby. > As she paused and took her next sip of tea I saw her > eyes roll backwards in > her head and asked if she had just experienced > another contraction. > > She acknowledged that she had, and added 3... and I > think the baby1s here 2. > === message truncated === ===== Michael Hall Midwife, Nurse, Husband, Father Brisbane http://movies.yahoo.com.au - Yahoo! Movies - What's on at your local cinema? -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
