Dear Sue, Thanks for sharing and I understand your anger. How on earth can those people call themselves professionals. Midwives - ha! Appalling for you all. Love Leigh ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sue Cookson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2003 2:27 PM Subject: [ozmidwifery] DISHEARTENED ANGRY AND ASHAMED
> Hi all, > Am writing my last missive to this list but would love some replies before I > sign off. > > I was in attendance at a Christmas day birth. > 41 week 34 year old primip, everything normal in pregnancy, but endured > severe pain in early labour and was unable to 'break through' this. So, 24 > hrs after SRM, and 12 hours of severe pain, 3 cms and needing help. Light > mec with some tachchardia. > Arrival at hospital at 7.30 am > First midwife (older and 'very experienced') declared baby to be either > breech or OP. Wee in this cup she demanded to a woman who was screaming in > pain. Lie here then and examined her through a contraction ...probably OP > ... > Next came the Resident who asked the woman how tall she was. 5'2" was the > reply - Well your husband had a big head so there is probably disproportion, > and baby will not fit through. > Our request was simply for an epidural for pain relief. Next doctor arrived, > the registrar who said " I will order an epidural, a syntocinon drip and > antibiotics" (the latter because she was prolonged rupture of membranes). > We just want pain relief was her answer - no to routine antibiotics and > routine synto. "So what are you going to do," he asked, "just lie about all > day?" > Next midwife on duty had been an independent midwife for 10 years. She > repeated the request about 10 times to have synto set up - this with a baby > whose heartrate was incredibly variable, and whose contractions had remained > very strong throughout. Fresh mec appeared on and off. > Catheterised with a bag against our request - we were happy for the catheter > to be inserted and removed, but not left in. "I can't take it out, says the > ex homebirth midwife, because I might need to catheterise you again." > To cut a long story short, all we asked for was 4 hours of pain relief > followed by a period of being active, maybe cutting down or out the > epidural, and assessing progress. Such a big request?? ( I had experienced a > similar situation only a few weeks before with a wonderful outcome of baby > being born vaginally and home 3 hours later - same hospital, next door room) > > The ex homebirth midwife said she had never seen anyone up and active with > an epidural in, and then said the woman failed the 'test'to be able to > manage that (left leg was pretty heavy). She could not take responsibility > for the woman to be active. > We negotiated our way through that ... ambulate at our own risk... > Hours later progress was negligible, so we asked for a few more hours, being > hassled the entire way about oxytocics. > So about 12 hours after admission there, we agreed to a c/section after no > progress. We negotiated a lotus birth and that was agreed to. > So baby born 8.30 pm Christmas Day by epidural c/section. > Apgars 9/9 but baby held at the resus table for 13 mins anyway - after being > told that if she was 'pink and screaming' she would go straight to mum. baby > then to mum for a brief 'look' then off to wherever. > > Told she was a little off colour - this followed by a decision to put babe > in special care for 4 hours for observation. Luckily lovely midwife had come > on duty and took baby out of special care and in to dad's arms until mum was > out of recovery and back in her room. Initially told dad could stay there > (single room) but when requested a mattress, told dad had to go home (45 > mins away) Lotus birth presented a major problem to the staff, who told mum > it put them at risk, and in fact wrapped placenta up in industrial waste > bag/ toxic waste plastic bag. > Second morning slight redness at umbilicus, with streaks up baby's tummy. > Baby whisked off to special care nursery and on IV antibiotics. NOTHING has > shown up on skin swabs and blood tests done at birth or since. Cord cut off > with midwives telling mother how dirty it was ... > > There are a lot of things I have not included here - the looks, the > inferences, the queries about who the support people were, the obs who came > in pointing at us asking our names, the sighs, the comments to the mother > about 'your type' (funny eh, this couple both work...) > > This woman was made to feel she could not achieve normal birth, her baby was > too big for her, her baby was in a bad position, her requests were > unreasonable, her decisions were from poor information, her lotus birth was > 'dirty' and a health hazard. > > She gave birth to a 7lb 5oz baby who was presenting OT. No obvious reasons > for failing to get past 4 cms. > > I am totally disheartened at how little movement the 'normal/natural' birth > movement has made in the medicalised system of childbirth in the last 22 > years. The midwives who took part in the birth were active participants in > the demoralisation and bullying of this woman and her partner and her > attendants. They collaborated to intimidate and pressure her into various > positions. There was no serving of this beautiful pregnant, labouring > mother, but only the intention to make her fit into a very narrow and closed > medical framework. > > I cannot and will not continue to support this method of childbirth in any > way. I hope that most people on this list do not work in this manner, but I > am also aware after being on this list for many years, that there are too > many midwives in Australia who DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY DO by behaving in > similar ways to the midwives I came into contact with over the last 96 > hours. > > I care totally for the emotional state of the women I see - the c/section in > this case was not a problem, but the narrow and judgemental attitude of far > too many of the people involved in this birth was an enormous problem. > > Well this is one birth attendant who is signing off, from the fight, from > the work, from the discussion. The birth scene has gone SO FAR away from > normal that it is really scary. > > Good luck to you all and good luck to all of you who think you can make a > difference. After Christmas Day I am damned sure no one person can stand > alone and make a difference for others. All one person does is put herself > at risk of ridicule and danger, irrespective of her heart's desire and > intentions. > > I know I have a good heart, I work so hard for all the pregnant women and > families I have served. > > I grieve for all the women who give birth in hospital with the type of > midwives I experienced recently. No wonder our children are being born with > high levels of syntocinon abuse, epidural damage leading to such increased > mevels of autism and ADD etc that our Australian society is experiencing. No > wonder our women have such high levels of PND. > > Disheartened, angry, and ashamed - the shame? Of the abuse, misinformation > bullying and lack of true care our 'system' can and does give out, all in > the name of midwifery and [medicalised] childbirth. > > > Sue Cookson > mother of 4 homeborn gorgeous children. > > > > > > > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
