----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2005 8:18
PM
Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] Crownprincess
Mary of Denmark gave birth naturally
Hi
Yes,
your Australian crownprincess Mary gave birth at 01.57 Saturday morning. The
whole country was esctatic - flags and celebrations all over. A really nice
thing was a series of bonfires throughout the country. The first started at
18.30 in Copenhagen, then the next was lit up further away until the last
bonfire was lit a few hours later at the very northen tip of Jutland. Sending
important messages (used to be about warnings of enemies entering the country)
by bonfires "baunebaal" is an ancient tradition. They also fired canons (real
ones!) from the castle in Copenhagen and from Kronborg in Helsingor (Hamlet's
castle).
The
crownprince met the press 7½ hours afterwards - still high on the birth and
very, very happy. He made a point about not knowing the sex beforehand, so it
was a surprise to see the firstborn a boy. "Everybody should try doing that",
he said. (could be a hint to our presetn practice where all pregnant are
scanned). He wouldn't say much about the birth itself except that it's an
awestriking experience, that leaves you humble by natures forces. Mother and
child was doing well - the little one now sound asleep and not aware of what's
coming to him. (one of his smirks followed that one).
A
journalist asked him, where the baby will sleep. So Pinky, here's one for you:
"within an armslength of eather one of us" !!!
Questions about the birth were left for the chief of staff, chef obs
and one of the managing midwives to answer, but only the obs spoke - didn't
leave the other two a chance. That really bothered me, as I got the notion,
that they (midwife and obs) didn't quite agree on his answers. When asked by
the journalists whether "Mary got her Epidural" - he said "off course", but
the midwife turned her head quickly towards him - her whole face a big
question mark. I'll see what the grapewine will tell during the days to come.
For the rest of the day, I heard only a few midwives talking about birth and
birth naturally. They had a lot of explaining to do. The epidural-thing came
up when the other princess (sister-in-law to Mary) had her babies five and
three years ago (actully for the first one, she arrived at the hospital only
shortly before giving birth, but the doctors gave her an epidural anyway!).
Until then epidurals were something administered carefully, but again somewhat
laxly. But the doctors sold the idea in the press and then everybody demanded
one during birth and it became the only issue in the birth-debate for a long
time. As midwives didn't fall for that and tried talking people out of having
one unnessary, midwives were the bitchy witches doing births the old fashioned
way, and only interested in enhancing their own cause. I hate that.
We
haven't seen the prince yet, but I guess, as the crownprince said "he looks
like a newborn".
Warm
regards,
Kirsten in Denmark
Actually it was me who mailed that - Rachel
responded.
I agree that height is not the only indicator,
in this woman's case there were others, and I did not necessarily agree that
she should not have been encouraged to try for a normal birth, just making
the point that the advice was basically "better a 'good' caesar than a 'bad'
vaginal birth" (his words, not mine)
It is sad and I do hear what you are saying -
glad that you at least were able to rise above the negativity, as was I when
advised to have elective C/S for my 3rd, but most often "doctor knows best"
still rules!
On the positive side - Sounds very much like
"our Mary" (crown princess of Denmark) had a normal birth. I have not heard
officially but the news said born at 01.30 after a 10 hour labour, so sounds
like she gave birth normally. About time some high profile women
did!!
Regards, Sue
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do
nothing"
Edmund Burke
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, October 17, 2005 6:01
AM
Subject: [ozmidwifery] 4ft 9 and
birthing
Wump fish was saying last week an Ob said a
primip who was 4ft 9' should have a c-section over natural
childbirth.
Well, that's my height, my husband is 6ft 2!
I'm a midwife,and was doing my training when I fell pregnant with my first
baby. I had sooo many Obs telling me that 'you'll be a c-section',
that, had I been any other person, it would have totally eroded my
confidence to birth.
I've had 3 babies, all born at
home..........does anyone realize that 1/3 of the worlds population is
about that height?????
Robyn Dempsey
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