Every State has a Consumer Health Complaints
Commission. Anyone can use this service, not just
consumers. Midwives can lodge details of shoddy
or dangerous practise, quite anonymously, and if
there are enough complaints, then the Commission is obliged to investigate.
If an incident report was written each time one
of these situations occurred, then a quiet word
in the ear of the risk management team at the
hospital should surely trigger some action,
especially if they are concerned about the possibility of later litigation.
Perhaps the parents should be alerted as well,
perhaps in the de-brief after the birth or soon
after they get home. They might then ask some
questions of the hospital, which would require them to review the notes.
These situations and practitioners are terrible
and we must find a way of stopping them....
Andrea
At 10:29 AM 18/11/2005, you wrote:
Is there anywhere midwives can go for help in
situations like this? ACMI? ANF? Or Clinical
advisory committees? M/W s are scrutinized so
harshly when anything goes wrong . where is
the scrutinizing mechanism for the doctors? Any one know? MM
----------
How crazy it is that they ignore this in the
hurry to 'get the baby out' I get so
discouraged by the lack of simple wisdom and
respect for the natural process of labour.
Barb, it is so true that we are unable to speak
out when we see such terrible mis-management,
those of us that do are indeed subjected to
incredible bullying. During my recent
confrontation over some issues I was told " you
are a good NURSE Sue, you care too much, that's the problem" !!!
WE may avoid the bullying by not working in the
area, but the women are still being bullied and babies still being damaged.
We have an OB who does not wait for restitution,
instead is now training the Registrars before
even looking at the way the head has come out to
pull downward on the head, put their hand beside
the head in the vagina and sweep the anterior
arm forward. I have seen a run of 4 # humerus
and/or clavicles. I have made efforts to address
this at staff meetings because I have been
documenting what I see and specifically stating
'not shoulder dystocia' in the notes. The result
from this and for commenting on the second twin
we lost from the same SOTB OB was that I have
experienced the most incredible medical
bullying/harassment. I now do not work in Birth
Suite and thankfully the bullying has stopped.
This is due to the Morris/Davies Royal
commission and Forster review. I had my private
say on bullying. However why can't I get other
midwives to stand up for what they see and the damage that is done?
Barb
My goodness me not wait for restitution,
strikes me as someone trying to redefine the
mechanism of normal birth to suit their own
fears and prejudices - Wow! So if in fact a
baby needs to restitute to birth the shoulders
comfortably and in the best position, and were
going to cut that part of the birth out, are we
not going to see a marked increase in the
incidence of shoulder dystocia? Might be one
to look out for with these hasty practitioners.
I can only imagine how they would cope at the
majority of water births Ive been at, where the
head is fully crowned, and its usually a matter
of minutes, sometimes up to 5 or 6 before the
body follows. And then theres that tricky
little stop at the hips that those water babies
tend to do too
sigh, why is there so much fear
and ignorance surrounding what has been
happening for so many years? Is it just an
insane need to control everything, or am I just
naïve in my belief that mother nature knows what shes doing?
Tania
----------
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Susan Cudlipp
Sent: Thursday, 17 November 2005 3:33 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] question
Good point Anne!
I did quite a thorough search last night and
have printed off some good articles which I will
pass on. However I could not find the answer to
why EXACTLY babies die in shoulder dystocia. If
it is asphyxia, then (obs point of view) this
proves that the cord is not sustaining them. The
ob said to me that if the cord WERE sustaining
them there would be no urgency to deliver the
body, also quoted from the ALSO course that the
fetal Ph drops 0.04 (?) per minute after
delivery of head therefor we should not be
waiting for restitution but delivering body ASAP. (I didn't even go there!!)
My feeling is that it is more to do with
probable cord compression, (although I cannot
picture why this should necessarily be so as the
body and hence, presumably, the cord, would
still be above the pelvic brim) and trauma to
the neck usually caused by mis-management
(panic) in trying to deliver the shoulders than
asphyxia, but it is true that they become
asphyxiated within a short time if truly stuck. Any answers on that one?
Thanks
Sue
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of
evil is for good men to do nothing"
Edmund Burke
----- Original Message -----
From: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Anne Clarke
To: <mailto:[email protected]>[email protected]
Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 5:54 AM
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] question
Dear Susan,
You could say to them if this is so why do they
rely so much on cord ph's ? One would think
when the baby was born and the pulsating cord
was still not supplying the baby effectively the
cord blood (venous and arterial) was null and
void to provide an estimation of oxygenation for the babe.
Regards
Anne Clarke
Queensland
----- Original Message -----
From: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>Susan Cudlipp
To: <mailto:[email protected]>midwifery list
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 9:30 PM
Subject: [ozmidwifery] question
I have a question for you wise ozmidders.
I was having a discussion today with one of our
obstetricians regarding cord clamping, and the
benefits to the baby of delaying this until
pulsations cease. When I mentioned the benefit
of the baby recieving oxygenated blood via the
pulsating cord which could assist it's
transition to independent respiration
particularly if it was compromised (etc
etc) the obs was of the view that the
pulsations could NOT be providing oxygenated
blood because the uterus would have contracted
down and the placenta could no longer be getting
oxygen from mother's circulation.
Now I know that I have read reams on this and
this is stated to be one of the benefits, but I
could not answer that particular question physiologically and convincingly.
The point was also raised that in shoulder
dystocia, babies die of asphyxiation, which (obs
opinion) would not happen if they were recieving oxygen via the cord.
I did print off George Morley's excellent papers
for this Dr to read but would very much welcome
anything that can show that the baby would still
be receiving oxygenated blood post birth.
TIA
Sue
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of
evil is for good men to do nothing"
Edmund Burke
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Andrea Robertson
Birth International * ACE Graphics * Associates in Childbirth Education
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
web: www.birthinternational.com
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