[ozmidwifery] Fw: C/Section tomorrow- some thoughts

[Mrs Joanne M Fisher]

Title: Message

I wonder if I'll get a reply from Channel 9?   ----- Original Message ----- From: Mrs Joanne M Fisher To: TCN Today Show Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2003 11:56 AM Subject: Re: C/Section tomorrow- some thoughts Dear Channel 9,   The World Health Organisation recommend a C/section rate of 10-15%.  In Australia it is now about 25% (and 30-80% in some private hospitals).  I feel now after watching your show this morning that you have glamourised C/sections and the poor women of Australia, who are already frightened about having babies (do you ever see any happy stories of natural birth?), will now be running off to their Doctors requesting a c/section.  I am a midwife/lactation consultant and I see the pain these women are in afterwards.  I've also seen the haemhorrages, the wound infections and the babies that have been accidently cut!  Very few get skin to skin contact which is the optimal start for a mother/baby connection and greatly improves the chances of successful breastfeeding.  Longer term consequences such as Post Natal Depression and even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are very real but rarely discussed.   You should now concentrate on showing a normal birth which is supported by a known midwife because research shows that women have the best outcomes/satisfaction when this happens.  You should also show that women can successfully birth their babies vaginally after a c/section. I congratulate the mother and father on the safe delivery of their son today.  Of course Tracey and your team were brought to tears by his birth but I didn't see the mother's tears (she appeared quite detached from the whole process).  I can't help wondering that if you were to have seen the beauty of a natural birth and how empowered the mother is when she has completed the birth journey as nature intended, you would be shedding even more tears of joy.   Regards, Joanne Fisher.     ----- Original Message ----- From: TCN Today Show To: Mrs Joanne M Fisher Sent: Wednesday, December 03, 2003 3:30 PM Subject: RE: C/Section tomorrow- some thoughts Dear Today Show viewer,   This is to acknowledge receipt of your email. Thank you for taking the time to contact us. If this is an inquiry, please re-direct it to [EMAIL PROTECTED]. All other comments, story ideas and opinions sent by viewers are discussed by the show's producers on a daily basis. We appreciate your input and hope you are enjoying the program.   Sincerely,   Darren Wick Executive Producer     Dear Channel 9,   I always enjoy watching your show and tomorrow I will be watching with great interest.  I am a midwife/lactation consultant and want you to know that birthing choices in this country are horrendous.  We are so medically dominated.  We fall way behind countries such as the Netherlands, UK, and New Zealand.  People don't know about it because it is not talked about.  They only find out about it after the fact when they are suffering post taumatic stress disorder.  Now you are planning to show a live c/section on TV.  Well I certainly hope you give the other side a chance to tell women about REAL birth and REAL informed choice.  I await your show with mixed feelings.   Regards, Joanne Fisher.