Absolutely Rachel, I am only too aware that I have chosen the 'easy way out' by making the conscious decision not to practice in the hospital system, and you are right, those women who enter into a system that is fragmented and fear-based, definitely need woman centred midwives who are willing to put themselves on the line for the rights of the women in their care.
I'm slightly disturbed by what appears a growing trend not to identify ourselves if our opinions or ideas vary from that of the general feel of the list at the time. I've always felt safe here, despite the fact that I am in the minority based on my place of work. We don't need to always agree, spirited conversation and debate is one of the ways I think we can all learn and become more educated...none of us know it all, I'm the first to admit that! However, there is something slightly offputting, and I must say it's hard to respond in a personal manner, when the poster won't even put a first name to their post. I'm happy to own my ideas and opinions, and to be supported or otherwise as a result of sharing them publically... Tania -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of wump fish Sent: Thursday, 3 November 2005 2:25 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife It is sad to hear yet another hospital midwife feeling under attack. It can be argued that hospital midwives have an even greater role to play in changing the maternity service and catering for women's needs. I turned down the chance of working as an independent in the UK because I believed that the women in hospital needed me more. They were birthing in a strange environment amongst strangers, many in vulnerable social situations. The statistics demonstrated the poor chances these women had of avoiding an instrumental birth or c-section. It is because most women give birth in hospitals, and because the statistics for physiological birth are shocking - that hospital midwives are so important. It is time we asked ourselves how we can improve these outcomes for women and increase satisfaction rates. Many of us are, and as I have said, I have come across far more motivated midwives in the Australian hospital system than the UK. Let's not kid ourselves that there is not a lot to fight for if we do not want to end up as obstetric nurses. We are prevented in many ways from making our own clinical judgements by guidelines, policies etc. We are prevented from developing and maintaining midwifery skills such as waterbirth, suturing, full spectrum care - in some hospitals even catching the baby. It is only by acknowledging our position and refusing to accept that over 30% of women (fit and healthly by global comparison) are unable to give birth without an operation. By looking at our own contribution to individual care and to the midwifery profession. By standing together as midwives regardless of where we practise that we can start to change things for ourselves and the women we care for. We need to stop taking discussion and debate personally and take a leaf out of the drs book. Discuss, question, debate.... and learn. I am pleased that this debate has drawn some lurkers out to provide us with their valuable perspective we would otherwise have been ignorant of. Rachel - another hospital midwife >From: "mariet" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [email protected] >To: <[email protected]> >Subject: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife >Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 10:30:49 +1100 >I wanted to respond to this because it touches something I've felt for a >while. I've been a lurker on this list for ages but not a contributor >because, despite many years as a midwife (and I use the term advisedly, I >don't consider myself an obstetric nurse) I've had the impression from the >language used on this forum that the work I do and even the women I look >after is somehow not as valuable or important as community based midwifery >or birth centre care. I don't for a moment think that this is the stated >position of most of the contributors to this list. But to a hospital based >midwife it certainly can come across that way. I've never been accused of >being a shrinking violet but I haven't cared to expose myself here, to >dismissive comments about the place I choose to work or the people I work >with. Not all hospital midwives do their 8 or 10 hour shift and ignore it >for the rest of the day. > >People are people. I have had atrocious handovers of care from the midwife >on the shift before me. I have also had atrocious handovers of care, or >refusal to share antenatal findings, from homebirth midwives bringing women >into hospital. > >Women who come to the place where I work come from a wide cross section of >the community. Many come from countries where English is not the first >language. Some are highly educated, some are illiterate. There are early >attenders and women having their fourth child in succession without booking >in or having any antenatal care. Not to put too fine a point on it, not all >families are committed to providing the best start for their babies. As >midwives we give care to all these women, the best we can. > >I joined this list in the hope of learning more and gaining support for >some of the difficult times and knotty questions that arise. I've learned >heaps and am so glad I joined; getting different viewpoints from the ones I >encounter every day has been so valuable and opened my mind to many new >things. > But I can't say I've been confident that I would receive support, I came >to the conclusion long ago that my place of work would overshadow what I >had to say and I do not feel inclined to apologise for the fact that not >only do I work in a hospital Delivery Suite, I even feel satisfactin and >joy in much of what I do. > >Another hospital midwife _________________________________________________________________ Be the first to hear what's new at MSN - sign up to our free newsletters! http://www.msn.co.uk/newsletters -- 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.
