Thanks Andrea, Justine, Denise and all, I read your comments with much interest. It highlights that the medical model of midwifery is a culmination of the birthing environment, staff AND women/society's (unfortunate) ideals and values. re. women wanting intervention - I have come across SO many women who have had a somewhat difficult labour... and remarked, that when they have their next baby - they'll just get "cut open" - as it's the easiest and painless option. In my mothers group - I was only 1 of 2 women who had a natural birth - the other 10 had c/s's!!!! Handing themselves (in almost all cases in perfect health!) over to obstetricans during pregnancy, labour and birth - so unquestioningly is unbelievable!!!!! My best friend, pregnant with her first baby and having a normal, healthy pregnancy - gets a special sticker (put on her pregancy record) from her obstetrician each visit if she has'nt put on too much weight!!!!! Unbelievable!!!!!
My huge frustrations re. our local hospital lies not only in the fact that the midwives have about-faced on the midwifery model... but that the vibe from the locals, is that they don't care about such a model - as long as there is the 24/7 cover that we originally protested about. For example - we had 300 locals turn up at our first public meeting 2 years ago, as our maternity unit was threatened to close..... once 24/7 coverage was resumed...... we held information sessions on the proposed midwifery model up and down the Mountain.... and a whole 8 people turned up!!!!! I felt that WE (read the 3 of us!) wanted the model - but the whole of the Mountains just wanted 24/7 coverage. During and after the work on the proposed model - we sadly lost some of our most passionate, woman centered midwives (they just couldn't wait any longer); the project manager (her contract had run out - and she was not re-instated in that role) AND our NUM. I really think that the loss of these women - was the nail in the coffin - as they were the motivators of all the other midwives.....and now, the midwives who are left - have sinced said that they don't want the model .... and so it goes... I agree, Andrea - that the courses you provide - are very much needed in our current climate - but I still find it a hard thing to grasp - that the whole essence of midwifery is buried under all of the above!!! regards all, Nicole ----- Original Message ----- From: "Cheryl LHK" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, April 12, 2004 4:02 PM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] midwife is a midwife...? > Andrea, > > Your insights on metropolitan hospitals is really interesting. Reading this > list (and especially this topic) I really am quite happy to work in a little > rural hospital (<200 births per annum) on nights because I don't have to > deal with the doc/unit managers/ politics etc - and even the dreaded > 'protocol', sometimes can be put off - because it's in the middle of the > night! Sometimes I get frustrated because I see less midwifery patients > than what I'd like (small hospital - you do mid/post-op/palliative/ > rehab/geriatric all in the same shift) but at least when I have someone > wander into birth suite, it's 1:1 care, doc is notified entirely at > midwife's discretion and more often than not is happy for the midwife to > manage the entire process, 'catch' the baby and they will come in only for > serious concerns. Am I lucky? or disadvantaged because I don't see enough > mid practice? Just thinking aloud. > > Cheryl > > > >From: Andrea Robertson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] midwife is a midwife...? > >Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 08:43:37 +1000 > > > >Hello Nicole, > > > >I understand your frustration and amazement about the different styles of > >"midwifery" that are out there. I agree with Mary that the environemnt in > >the hospital has a powerful effect on the midwives who work there, as well > >as the women and the comment from Micehlle (the student) backs up Mary's > >observations (and my own). > > > >As someone who provides the course that teaches midwives "how to provide > >woman/family centred care" I can report that these courses are very much > >needed. The midwives who attend are all aware of the need to re-discover > >their midwifery roots and how woman centred care works in practice. They > >need strategies for overcoming the hospital system, how to get around the > >protocols whilst protecting themselves and the labouring woman and how to > >work as a team to maintain morale and effect change. Achieving cultural > >change in a hospital is difficult until a critical mass of midwives all > >begin the think the same. Around 65% of the staff form a critical mass, and > >if this number can all begin thinking alike, a strong cohesive body can > >achieve a lot. There have been many hospitals (mainly in the UK these days) > >who have asked me to present my Active Birth workshops for their entire > >staff, over a number of trips, so that this cultural change can occur. It > >has been very rewarding to see the growth and development of a team > >philosophy of care and receive feedback from successful midwifery units. > > > >Way back in the late 80s and early 90s I did a number of similar multiple > >programs for hospitals in the Sydney area, with good results. Since then, I > >have noted that of the many cities where I travel regularly, Sydney has > >become the one place that seems resistant to change - where an attitude of > >"we're OK, don't challenge us" seems to be the norm. Although one Area > >Health Service (SESAHS) has understood the need for regular updating and > >moral boosting programs for their staff, no other Area Health Service has > >seen the light. I am not surprised that the lack of insight underlying the > >rejection of midwifery programs in most hospitals in Sydney - they have > >forgotten what midwifery is all about and furthermore, don't want to know. > >In Sydney, for the most part, a midwife is an obstetric nurse, and I wonder > >if this will ever change. > > > >Meanwhile, I have just had a long opinion piece published in The Practising > >Midwife called "Changing the Birth Culture in Britain" (April issue). Next > >month I will put this onto my web site - the ten steps outlined are equally > >applicable in Australia. I will let everyone know when it is up on the > >site. > > > >Meanwhile, hang in there Nicole - the reforms that the MC are pushing > >through in NSW will neatly bypass the whole AHS and hospital system, and > >make real birth choice available to every woman. In the end, it will be the > >women who will forge the changes,as they have ever done. > > > >Regards, > > > >Andrea > > > > > > > >At 11:01 PM 10/04/2004, you wrote: > >>I have been feeling exactly the same way - especially of late.... > >>Unfortunately, there is a huge distinction between true woman centered > >>midwives and obstet nurses...... > >>After working for the most part of two years on trying to set up a > >>midwfery-led model at our local hospital... have just been told that it > >>won't go ahead.... reason = fear factor ie. Camden/Campbeltown fiasco... > >>and many of our midwives have had a change of heart..... > >>After being explained what the new model will entail (or rather NOT > >>entail)....(from someone from our Area Health Service) I was flabergasted > >>to hear that the midwives would be provided with extra training/courses - > >>including one which teaches them how to provide woman/family centred > >>care.... I remember my jaw dropping.....and initially being unable to > >>speak.... > >>once I regained brain power... I remarked on what a sorry state midwifery > >>is in today ... where the core of midwifery.....the real essence of > >>midwifery care... has been lost amongst the myriad of intervention and > >>subserviance.... > >>What do they teach at uni??? Is this a reflection on hospital midwifery > >>care today - that we need to provide midwives with an "extra" or > >>"refresher" course on the essence of midwifery ie. midwife= 'with woman' > >>???!!!!! > >>I would like to add, that I hold true woman centered midwives in the > >>highest regard... I have had 2 hospital births and 1 homebirth. One out of > >>the two hospital births was with a fantastic midwife... and my homebirth > >>was AMAZING!!!! The way I feel about the midwives in those 2 different > >>settings is almost like a teenager who idolises a lead singer of a band... > >>I am awe struck and will forever feel a strong sense of a spiritual > >>connection to them. They were a huge part of three of the happiest days of > >>our lives!! > >>My beautiful birth experiences have opened my eyes, heart and mind to the > >>wonder of birth and in turn, have charged me with passion for woman > >>centered midwifery... > >> > >>kind regards, > >>Nicole > >> > >> > >> > >>Original Message ----- > >>From: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Jo & Dean Bainbridge > >>To: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>[EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>Sent: Friday, April 09, 2004 1:25 PM > >>Subject: [ozmidwifery] midwife is a midwife...? > >> > >>I read this today and wanted to chat about this without fear of being > >>lynched! lol > >> > >>And given a birth I attended last week with the worst hospital midwife I > >>have ever met who was SO much less good than the obstetrician I am totally > >>off the idea > >>of a midwife is a midwife.... > >> > >>I am totally off the idea of a midwife is a midwife.... > >> > >> > >>I would like to hazard a discussion that one of the problems we encounter > >>is that there ARE a proportion of midwives who do not support what our > >>definition of a midwives role/responsibility and so forth and these > >>midwives are firmly entrenched in the system...so when a woman births in a > >>hospital (as so many do) and go down the ob model (as so many do) they > >>encounter some of these midwives and leave the woman thinking the midwife > >>was "awful". > >> > >>I know a that there are those wonderful woman focused midwives who still > >>work labour ward and so on, so I am not suggesting they are all 'bad'; but > >>would you say that the midwives who do fit our definition are the ones who > >>put their hands up for birth centre care and so on, thus leaving the > >>'obstetric nurse type' who are less supportive to actively assisting the > >>woman in any other way other than increasing the drip or topping up the > >>drugs. > >> > >>In a long winded, public holiday type way I am saying that : there are a > >>few people who would read a sticker like "I chose carefully: I chose a > >>midwife" and say "the midwife I had was a bitch! I would never chose her!" > >> The public are almost blind to the fact midwives are midwives not > >>nurses, so to then extend that understanding to the two types of midwives > >>(which I call ob nurses -"yes doctor, no doctor type" and the with woman > >>midwife) is an ask. > >> > >>Perhaps we need to suggest a system that does define the midwife from the > >>obstetric nurse?? I have heard from practicing midwives that they are > >>not supportive to things like case load or community midwifery because > >>"...don't want that type of responsibility" (actual quote). I have no > >>idea of how this would be done and not suggesting it would even work; but > >>we must be aware when addressing the general public we are aware that > >>there is a difference between those midwives who see women as someone to > >>be empowered and those who see the woman as someone to be rescued: but do > >>the general public?? > >> > >>"My Midwife empowered me to birth beautifully!" > >> > >>(awaiting the hate mail! lol) > >>Jo Bainbridge > > > > > >----- > >Andrea Robertson > >Birth International * ACE Graphics * Associates in Childbirth Education > > > >e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >web: www.birthinternational.com > > > > > >-- > >This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > >Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. > > _________________________________________________________________ > SEEK: Now with over 50,000 dream jobs! Click here: > http://ninemsn.seek.com.au?hotmail > > -- > 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.
