Hi Rachel, It is difficult practicing in a new country no matter what you do, culturally Aust & UK are so dissimilar it's even more frustrating.
I am a Kiwi & am used to the NZ system which is very different to here. I find Aust women annoyingly passive & apathetic regarding midwifery & pregnancy generally, they are very American in their attitudes & beliefs & actually that drives me insane. In NZ we are much more "English", it took me ages to get my head around the 'user pays' system here. I still don't believe women should have to pay to have a choice in their pregnancy care or place of birth, it is their right, not privilege (hence I don't make a profit from my HB practice as I often don't charge women, I barter or suggest share care with the local birthcentreeMW Clinicc because it's free & they can see me for alternate visits, doesn't go down well with the political midwives in Melbourne so I keep it quiebirthcentree I refuse to get tangled up in the 'insurance debacle", women will have the choice of birthing at home regardless as far as I'm concerned. I do practice with back-up, all women book into a hospital in case transfer is required, I have a great network of alternative practitioners who work in collaborative practice with me & I can refer at any given time to a lovely OB, who is always available as an ear if I need him. I don't feel the need for any other presence, but I do have an extremely competent apprentice who is nearly finished her direct entry mid & we work very well together. I chose her because she sees Mid as a separate identity to nursing, has no fear of birth & sees pregnancy/maternity care as a state of health & wellbeing. I have worked in a group/team practice before & whilst the guaranteed time off O/C was good that was the only thing that worked in it for me. I found it just wasn't my style of mid. The politics gave me the irrits & there is always the power & control crap that goes with groups that I have no time for. So you could practice perfectly well without the insurance, back up or midwifery team because you'd build your own quite quickly once out of the system. I do sympathise. Don't go for the supermarket option just yet, it sounds like it'd be a shame, their gain &midwiferiess' loss. ? look at NZ.(much nicer than Aust in every way!!) ......I am going home tomorrow for 3 weeks as I do every year & will check things out as I do every year ( but my children are here so my options are limited) . Would you like an update on what's happening there when I get back? Are you contracted to the hospital you are working for ? Please don't stop your contributions to the ozmid, I enjoy your posts & things will get better, it's early days !! Kind regards Brenda Manning www.themidwife.com.au > wump fish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi Brenda, > > I know exactly what you mean about thinking in lines and circles! I > think > this is my big problem. I think in circles in the hospital setting which > > does not go down too well. > > As for why I am not attending homebirths. In the UK I attended > homebirths > funded by the NHS (medicare) and backed-up by the maternity system. I > worked > in a community team and we covered the on-call between 4 of us. I'm in > Queensland now and things are a bit different. If I want to do > homebirths I > would have to be an independent mw. I don't feel that I know the system > here > well enough after only 9 months. Also I would have to practise without > insurance or back-up or a midwifery team. > > The hospital setting is very frustrating and I plan to escape within 2 > years. Not sure where - research, education..... supermarket. > > Rachel > > > >From: "brendamanning" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Reply-To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au > >To: <ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au> > >Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] The Advertiser today... > >Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 14:11:25 +1100 > > > >Rachel, > > > >Please don't 'shut up for now', as you know once you start 'not' saying > > >things it becomes a habit that they never get said at all! > >Also I enjoy your posts ! > > > >I wonder why you aren't attending homebirths here if you enjoy then so > much > >? There is no money in it (not the way I practice anyway LOL) but if > it's > >where your heart lies then you make do somehow. > > > >I work bank at the birth centre to feed the family & homebirths in the > >community to feed my soul ! > >I totally agree with you, it requires a complete change of mindset when > I > >work for myself. > >Work in the unit, (and I work in a very lovely liberal unit if you > >strrrrrrrrrretch the boundaries of the prescriptive policies )requires > my > >brain to function in a straight line. Alot of it is damage control & > >treating the symptoms which the system often causes. > >However in my practice my brain works in a circle (if you can > understand > >the metaphor) & focuses largely on preventing the problem occurring in > the > >first place. ! > >Not sure I can explain it but that's how it feels ! > > > >With kind regards > >Brenda Manning > >www.themidwife.com.au > > > >----- Original Message ----- From: "wump fish" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >To: <ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au> > >Sent: Sunday, October 30, 2005 12:45 PM > >Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] The Advertiser today... > > > > > >>Tania - I didn't think you were having a go at all! In the UK I was > lucky > >>enough to gain experience of community based midwifery-led care > >>(homebirths etc) and midwifery-led care in a large regional referral > unit > >>(high risk heaven). It was interesting that I was perceived by > colleagues > >>as has having a higher level of skill and kudos when working in > hospital > >>on birth suite. Whereas, I felt I had to use a higher level of skill > in > >>the community setting. > >> > >>I think part of the problem in hospital based midwifery is where the > >>emphasis is placed in education and updates - for example, CTG > >>interpretation, resus, emergencies etc. There is kudo is being > competent > >>in the management of abnormal and emergencies. Unfortunately, there is > not > >>the same emphasis placed on the skills involved in facilitating > >>physiological birth and preventing those emergencies from occuring in > the > >>first place. Risk management strategies are also back-to-front and > result > >>concentrate on the symptoms ignoring the cause. Anyhow... I could rant > on > >>forever about risk management and education. So I will shut up for > now. > >> > >>Rachel x > >> > >> > >> > >> > >>>From: "Tania Smallwood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>>Reply-To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au > >>>To: <ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au> > >>>Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] The Advertiser today... > >>>Date: Sun, 30 Oct 2005 10:03:02 +1030 > >>> > >>>Agree with all of that Rachel, and sorry if it seemed I was having a > go - > >>>not intended at all. What I feel is sad is that what you are talking > > >>>about > >>>is not widely acknowledged, not by the midwives working in the > hospital > >>>system that I know anyway. They seem to hide behind this notion of > >>>needing > >>>to be upskilled rather than acknowledging that for many of them, the > >>>system > >>>they work in has resulted in them becoming deskilled and desensitized > to > >>>the > >>>realities of birth. I like the idea of rewiring! I think I'd need a > > >>>total > >>>motherboard overhaul to work just one shift in a labour and delivery > >>>suite. > >>>Well done for being able to deliver care to the women who really need > it > >>>in > >>>the system, hats off to you! > >>> > >>>Tania > >>>xxx > >>> > >>>-----Original Message----- > >>>From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>>[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of wump fish > >>>Sent: Sunday, 30 October 2005 9:38 AM > >>>To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au > >>>Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] The Advertiser today... > >>> > >>>I think any midwife who has spent their career in a hospital setting > >>>would > >>>need 're-wiring' to attend homebirths. Hospital birth is so different > to > >>>homebirth, and the danger is that midwives bring the hospital and > it's > >>>guidelines to the home. I don't think it is a case of 'upskilling', > just > >>>a > >>>totally different way of working and hospital midwives have been > >>>oppressed > >>>and socialised into a particular way of practising. They often lack > >>>confidence in their own midwifery skills and women's ability to > birth. > >>> > >>>Rachel - trapped in a hospital with pinging machines and missing > >>>homebirth > >>>and midwifery. > >>> > >>> > >>> >From: "Tania Smallwood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >>> >Reply-To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au > >>> >To: <ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au> > >>> >Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] The Advertiser today... > >>> >Date: Sat, 29 Oct 2005 21:06:12 +0930 > >>> > > >>> >Love that term, Macdonaldisation! I also get concerned when I hear > of > >>> >midwives needing to be "upskilled" to attend 'normal' births, or to > > >>>give > >>> >women care in water, etc. I think as a midwife we should all be > able > >>>to > >>> >handle the 'normal'. I personally would need upskilling to work in > a > >>> >tertiary institution with all those machines that go 'ping'! > >>> > > >>> > > >>> >Tania > >>> > > >>> > > >>> >-----Original Message----- > >>> >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >>> >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Belinda > >>> >Sent: Sunday, 30 October 2005 1:57 PM > >>> >To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au > >>> >Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] The Advertiser today... > >>> > > >>> >a big part of it is the multi skilling crap which is just a way of > >>> >getting constant work out an individual which i think is why so > many > >>> >places are against direct mid entry midwives, they cant be used > like > >>> >slaves to work everywhere anywhere anytime. it is an evolving > problem > >>> >and much to do with globalisation and utilising the human resources > to > >>> >the best benefit of corporation which hospitals are fast becoming. > The > >>> >macdonaldisation of society!!! It really worries me.... > >>> >Belinda > >>> > > >>> >Tania Smallwood wrote: > >>> > > >>> > > Not just a question for Barb, but anyone who knows about it, I'm > >>> > > curious to know about the Midwife/nurse practitioner that you > refer > >>> > > to > >>> > > in Qld. What exactly do they do? How is this different to > working > >>> > > within the scope of a registered midwife? I'm aware that the > college > >>> > > is not supportive of the notion of midwives becoming NP's, but > I'm > >>> > > actually interested in what role they play in maternity care > over > >>>and > >>> > > above the general run of the mill midwife? > >>> > > > >>> > > Cheers, > >>> > > > >>> > > Tania > >>> > > > >>> >-- > >>> >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. > >>> > >>>_________________________________________________________________ > >>>MSN Messenger 7.5 is now out. Download it for FREE here. > >>>http://messenger.msn.co.uk > >>> > >>>-- > >>>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. > >> > >>_________________________________________________________________ > >>MSN Messenger 7.5 is now out. Download it for FREE here. > >>http://messenger.msn.co.uk > >> > >>-- > >>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. > > _________________________________________________________________ > MSN Messenger 7.5 is now out. Download it for FREE here. > http://messenger.msn.co.uk > > -- > 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.
