Re: [ozmidwifery] C.section education to do or not to do?

[DebSlater]

My NCT classes (and the ones I would do here if I did them :-) all included a discussion on sections.  It was usually about 45 minutes, and looked at the reasons for them, and what usually happens in them, pros and cons, and recovery etc.  I would often use a role-play with one class member being the mother, one the partner, dr's, midwives, anaesthetist, etc. etc.  Show the screen over the tummy, the equipment (diathermy plate etc), tilting the body to one side etc. to try and give an appreciation of what to expect, enabling to look at partners role during a section etc.

My rationale ? - well many fold.   Cynically, but true, because, out of a group of 6 couples, one would statistically end up with one, but also because, from feedback, clients who ended up with one always said how glad they were that we had covered it, so that they had some idea as to what to expect, and it wasn't as frightening, therefore, as it could have been.

I cover sections because they are one of the scenarios that they may find themselves presented with - in the same way that I cover postnatal illness, stillbirth, neonatal death, special care, interventions (and how to minimise/ avoid them), babies that cry incessantly, and so on.  They may not encounter these situations, but if, by discussing it, I have effectively, prepare that one person who encounters it, then I have done my job.  I feel that we would be negligent if we did not talk about it.  OK if we are presenting and active birth class, where the emphasis is clearly on 'normal' birth then I would suggest it is perhaps not appropriate.  For a full course of prenatal preparation classes (and mine were 16 hours over 8 weeks), then I would expect to cover many and varied issues around pregnancy, labour, birth and early parenthood.

Debbie Slater
Perth, WA