This is my first time on this list, however I to have experienced the situation of the midwives clinic (Lynne Staff) and the truly petrified women. The other place I have met these women when they book in at my hospital where the allocation of time is half an hour, (cant procure any more funded time from my boss) however by the time these particular women attempt to debrief from the previous birthing experience and unresolved breastfeeding experiences, more than their allocated time is gone. All that happens is, I feel as though I too have let these women down because at the end of my day I am left with a wad of paperwork to refer women on and the feeling of frustration. Why cant we meet these somewhere in their lives between babies so they have psychological healing time?
Lynne, May I have some more info on the book you are reading Pregnancy - the inside story? Cheers Maria Ryan ----- Original Message ----- From: "Lynne Staff" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 1:46 PM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] High heads/ pain free ??? > Yes it does(the fringe), Sue, and so do the skills which midwives and > doctors (dare I say it) used to have in being with women who have been > categorised, standardised, legalised.... > It does for the women experiencing it too - I am reading an amazing book at > the moment called Pregnancy - the Inside Story, and some of the things I > read in that open my eyes but also break my heart with the fear - no - the > absolute horror with which more women than we can imagine view their > pregnancies and their impending (I use the word impending intentionally) > births and motherhood. Every week in Midwives clinic I sit with at least two > women who are still so overcome with horror at the thought of giving birth, > it interferes with everything they do and think. And when they describe to > me what happened to them last time, or what they have heard to make them > feel that way, I get a sense of something huge that has to be overcome - > something much bigger than interventions, because it is something that is in > women themselves often that keeps the momentum so that all of these things > which are happening in birth today keep happening. > > I remember the wonder and satisfaction I felt when I attended my first > homebirth where the woman was a primigravida with a 'high head' at term, and > how much she taught me. The wonder at her strength - for she had to work > HARD, the satisfaction that I had come across something (for me) new and > wondrous - I had never seen it before ( I have seen the longest newborn > heads at home, and the biggest smiles from women who give birth to these > babies though!) - women like this one were talked into caesareans even then, > and I am talking 20 years ago. The fear that was instilled into them of a > long hard and very painful labour, ending in a caesarean, when it (the > labour bit) could be avoided. There are many women who would consider it a > practical decision to make too. > > The lessons I learned at home I could never have learned how and where I was > working. The responsibility for my learning and change did not rest just > with the system, or where I was working, but with me as a midwife. > > One of the problems is though, that as midwives, many never get to see women > with these unique situations actually giving birth. It's taken away from > them (women), before they even come close to it. > > When I think of the number of Students and Midwives who have never seen > vaginal breech birth, I am amazed, and frustrated and angry at the fact that > they probably never will, unless they go to out of the way places or > countries, or find the few here that will still "allow" women to birth > breech babies vaginally, or women, midwives and doctors who know and feel > comfortable with it. > A penny for our thoughts.... > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Sue Cookson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Thursday, October 30, 2003 10:30 AM > Subject: [ozmidwifery] High heads/ pain free ??? > > > > Hi all, > > Just following the drift. > > High heads at term and pain in labour, c/section for breech, post dates... > > Can't help being cynical. > > > > Sometimes when you drop in on this childbirth line, it seems that > everything > > that once was normal has now been medicalised, pulled apart, reduced both > in > > size and importance and made plainly unreachable by most women. What are > > some of these parameters we use to judge normality with? > > > > What a long way we have stepped into fear and paranoia around childbirth > in > > such a short time. Even the last few years have seen a marked difference > in > > responses on this line, in my opinion. > > > > From a mother of 4 children born at home, including one double footlings > > breech baby high at term, one to 44 weeks, one pain free childbirth (just > a > > lot of laughing and mucous), and two not attended by anyone apart from > > family. I guess I was lucky? > > > > The fringe (of normal birth) just gets smaller and smaller..... > > > > Sue Cookson > > > > > > > > -- > > 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. > -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
