I think you pretty much said it all Sonia. :) That's what midwives are up against.
Jayne ----- Original Message ----- From: "*G and S*" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 7:11 PM Subject: [ozmidwifery] Advise, encouragement, support (long) > Jodie Miller wrote: > > " I honestly don't think many birthing > women really know what midwives can do for them. " > > > Hi all (Yeah, I'm still around), > > I absolutely agree with Jodie's statement. > > Before I birthed my fourth babe I was always of the > understanding that to be in the very best of care meant that you had to be > looked after by an obstetrician. Anything less was inferior care or not > ideal. To be looked after by a midwife, in the public system ie Midwive's > Clinic suggested lower socio-economic status and desperation. > > This still appears to be the pervasive thinking among the many women that I > know. > > My 4th babe was a 'public babe' as I was caught out between health > insurances when I became pregnant. That whole pregnancy was spent at my > local hospital's mw's clinic....or so it seemed. > I would regularly wait for hours to be seen by a mw and then in turn by a > stressed out RMO. > And as I always had my three children under seven with me, I was > consistently > hypertensive. (suprise,suprise) > > It was so very easy to see the frustration that other women attending the > clinic were feeling. > And perhaps in a more sublte way, so too did I see the immense frustration > of > the midwives who tried to do their job under difficult circumstances. > > At the end of this horrible pregnancy came a difficult induction (at the > hands of one incredibly arrogant ob) due to hypertension. > > HOWEVER, once that was over my labor was overseen by a very gentle and > amazingly astute midwife. (Hi Nola!!) > > This was the first and only birth I have had without an ob present. It was > by far the most peaceful, gentle, beautiful birth that I have experienced. > My > hypertension slipped away and was no longer problematic and I was treated > with dignity. > > With my 5th pregnancy I was SO ready to be looked after by a mw. But the > prospect of dealing with 'The Clinic' was so off-putting that I went private > with an obstetrician. And while I wasn't hypertensive throughout my > pregnancy and prenat. visits were hassle free, there still was a disatrous > consequence to be paid later on during my unnecessary (?) cesarean section. > > > Upon reflection: > I wish that I had been given the option of a one-on-one mw service. > I wish that I had known that this type of service existed. > I wish that women could be better educated about the services available to > them BEFORE they are pregnant. > I wish that I had realised that when I hired an ob/gyn I was actually > hiring a surgeon. > I wish that midwifery as a whole could be widely promoted as a valid, > obstetric profession, one to which vulnerable women can safely entrust > their care. > I also wish that there will soon be total reform in the Public Maternal > Health system. > Women should always be treated with dignity and be made to feel that > they are more than just a pregnant chunk of flesh. > > If only I could have my time again......... > > Sonia W. > > PS. I hope that I haven't been too high-handed in posting this and that I > haven't offended. > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > 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.
