----- 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)
