Re: [ozmidwifery] Pulling hair from fetal scalp

[Belinda Maier]

I have never heard of anyone being so insensitive and stupid to think it is okay to pull out the babies hair. I know that many people really believe that babies in utero don't feel pain which maybe is their justification for doing this type of torture on unborn babies, the others are scalp pHs and scalp 'clips'. The scalp clips also pull of the babies hair and skin and the literature shows this can leave a permanent bald spot. Michel Odent postulate that trauma to babies  like this and procedures immediately after being born, im Konakion, heel pricks etc does something (the technical term!) to the babies immune system which is a reason for such high allergies etc in children these days. I know a midwife who put a scalp clip on her own head and kept in on for a fair while, she said she took it off in the end because her head was throbbing! It is a continual source of dismay, frustration and anger that so many practices are so damaging and traumatic without having any evidence or research basis that supports it - and women are trusting their carers to do no harm to them so they think these things were necessary, valuable, legitimate, productive, safe, protective etc etc When women realise, whenever that is for them, that this was probably not the case they are left with trauma , guilt, anger etc that stays with them. Too many women, I think ,internalise these things instead of turning it around and saying they were let down by those who they trusteed, anyway I am on a roll I had better stop..... this could be why it is taking so long to finish my thesis!!!   Belinda