----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 8:19
PM
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] crystal
therapy
Dear Denise,
EM in Queensland means endorsed
midwife.
Perhaps I did not explain myself properly. I
believe many of us see pathological pain states in labour more often than
we care to admit. I believe this occurs because most of us in
Australia work in pathological birth environments where there is a lack of
endorphins between midwives and midwives; midwives and mothers; doctors
and midwives; doctors and mothers. Particularly where the woman feels intimidated, frightened, where
there is no trust, no continuity of care; no informed consent; no
love in the medicine......
Odent helps me to understand this fully when
he says "women can undilate with one unkind glance....He states
"If the method of the mammals be inefficient in any particular instance
there must always be teams capable of doing epidurals to compensate for
the lack of endorphins; to use drips to compensate for a deficiency of
hormones from the posterior pituitary; to perform cesarean sections to
rescue babies in distress....but it should not become the usual way to be
born". By saying this it could be said that he is
inadvertantly supporting these methods. However you and I know
that this is not the case. He legitimises the womens pain because the
environment is so pathological in comparison to what the normal birth
process requires.
On more occasions then we care to admit,
many midwives in the hospital environment feel powerless to keep
a safe space for the woman; to allow the complex cascade of hormones to be
released in the womans time and not our time; to limit the use
of abusive language to women. All to often we succumb to
the patriacial domination of the environment in which we all
work.
The use of the language "severe pathological
pain" occurs in Oxorn and Foote (1986) The authors refer to this pain
state being associated with "a malpresentation; or when the
uterine action is abnormal as in the incoordinate uterus, where the
propagation wave does not start at the pacemaker part of the
uterus. They talk about "cervical dystocia, obstructed labours,
contractile waves with inverted gradients where the normal contraction
begins in the lower segment and moves upward. The polarity of the uterus
is reversed and the is no effacement or dilatation of the cervix. Pain may
be present all the time and is out of proportion with the intensity of the
contractions". We have all seen women like this and some of us have not
appreciated the extent of their pain because it does not show up on the
monitor, or we cannot palpated the contractions; or they are just
prostin pains. These women are deemed not in labour, therefore it does not
legitamise their pain.
Denise as you have inferred, and I
wholeheartedly support, the environment is not conducive
to normal birth. My continuation on this note is that the womans pain
does become pathological in many instances and does require extraordinary
means to releive it because the environment for birth is so
abnormal. "Failure to progress"
becomes the physical manifestation of a woman who is spiritually
unsupported.
It is these above situations that I am
referring to when I am describing pathological pain states. It is my
belief that it is our lack of continuity of care that is utimately
responsible for why pethidine and epidurals become so necessary to some
women and many midwives.
I can not remember the last time I initiated
the use of pethidine or epidural to a birthing women. I am
fortunate that the births I often attend are unmedicated and
normal. I put the hard yards in, I dont deliver obstetric solutions from
the desk. I strive to be totally connected to the energy surrounding the
birth . I once had a birth bag which carried the odd bit of
aromotherapy, rescue remedy, crystals....I wish to reestablish these
modalities in a legitimate way....
On a positive note I delivered my first baby
3 years ago at the Birth Centre at the Royal Womens in Brisbane.
I had a waterbirth, no drugs, no stitches, I breastfeed for
12months, I had Tania Nairn and Trish Schneider (DON of RWH) as my
midwives who were experienced, supportive women who had an incredible
faith in the power of the normal birthing process. I was informed; I used
alternative therapies to deal with my pain (rescue remedy, water,
homeopathics, aromotherapy) The birth centre gave me a choice to use these
modalities.... Why should it only be available at the birth centre and not
to all women who wish to achieve an unmedicated normal
birth.............God Bless. Jennie.
P.S I Have just read the Revelations in the
bible and God forbid the crystals are mentioned in a positive way........I
will remain ever so delighted with the fact that Jesus was born in a
manger and my baby received the same care, my son has been given
the opportunity to remain deeply contented to humanity. I thank my
midwives for that now and always........
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2003
12:36 AM
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] crystal
therapy
Dear Jennie
I commend your efforts particularly as
student midwife in the context of meidcalised australian birthing
"services" but Please can you not say childbirth contractions are
"pathological pain states"
mild, moderate or
severe
though what is done to women when they are
having contractions I would consider pathological in that it shows
a lack of understanding of childbirth and how to work with
contractions and labour in general.
To say such things is to in advertently
support the use of the treatments you are trying to avoid
By the way what is EM ??
Denise Hynd
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2003
4:56 AM
Subject: [ozmidwifery] crystal
therapy
Dear List,
I have recently been using crystals at
work with some success. Several of my patients have said "they gave me
something to focus on; they gave me something to hold on to; I felt
protected; I think they really did work thankyou.....However, the
sceptics have engaged their will and notified the NPC that they feel
this therapy makes us look unprofessional, practicing
witchcraft, there is no strong evidence to support their
use....etc.... Thus I am no longer able to use the
crystals in my work until I find some evidence to support their
use.
Therapies such as pethidine and
epidurals are sold to all women as "safe modalities for pain
relief" instead of being used appropriately to rescue mothers in
severe pathological pain states. It is a shame that my strong critics
have nothing else to offer women, a sad reflection on our
profession. These drugs are offered without any conscious recognition
for the evidence available that demonstrates an increased
incidence of PND; decreased breastfeeding rates;....etc or as
Michel Odent predicts ever increasing levels of violence in our
society due to a generation of offspring who did not have access to
the level of oxytocin that promotes bonding and a capacity to
love: feeling numb on the inside; not being able to complete
tasks; disconnected from society; increase in youth
suicide........drug abuse.........the list goes on. But "thats
ok....its protocol so lets not concern ourselves with the evidence
that suggests these therapies should be avoided in the majority of
women"
I need your support to help me work
towards achieving safer outcomes for women. I would appreciate any
information or evidence any of you may have which may help
me develop a protocol for the use of complementary therapies such as
crystals etc.... or send me a copy of a protocol you have developed in
your working environment. Kind regards Jennie Want
(RN.EM.BMid..Masters of Midwifery
student)
