Jo,
You write really well with 3D perspective, Congratulations, few people have
that vision, most see in 1D only ! Seeing everybody's perspective isn't easy
& it's all so subjective.
Yet............... you know; I am a MW of 25 years & am about to give it
all away because I feel that we are really in that "damned if you do &
damned if you don't" space.
We facilitate a woman giving birth vaginally by giving her time to dilate,
she feels she laboured too long & we are wrong because we didn't leap in &
recommend a C/S .
We recommend a C/S because we feel the labour is going nowhere & we are
wrong again because she didn't get time to dilate !
We try to give her every chance to achieve her goal & we are wrong again
because it wasn't as she'd planned.
I feel I can't ever be right !
Packing shelves at Coles is looking good !
With kind regards
Brenda Manning
www.themidwife.com.au
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dean & Jo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2005 2:42 PM
Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] question - lodging complaints
This is an interesting thread that I must comment on again:
With the consumer support I have been involved with for the many years I
have and just in the year I have been a doula, the definition of a
negative experience is so varied! What I would deem as a great natural
vaginal birth with no tears etc have been described as hideous by a few
women. I know women who have had a cs that were totally unwarranted but
LOVED them....what some think (rightly) as abuse can be accepted as
others as normal.
The point being, people writing in about the trauma they suffered during
birth can encompass such a diversity of experiences. Who actually
defines what a negative experience is? Is it the care given by the MW
or OB or how they deliver that care? They could be a sweet as pie as
they cut peris for no more than routine reasons resulting in long term
incontinence issues. If the woman trusts them and likes them then is it
abuse? What if an arrogant or just a forthright OB or MW comes in and
demands a woman to get up off the bed and squat to birth which results
in the woman having intense ctx and a baby? Is the way she was spoken to
the determining factor or the fact that she was able to birth the baby
without the need of any needless medical intervention?
Or perhaps the birth I was at last night would be a good example:
beautiful natural birth with a first time mum who had a small tear in
the vaginal wall and external surface tearing. She required suturing
which was done by the birth centre staff. Local was used but this woman
was so scarred and traumatized she screamed for 20 minutes like I have
never heard anyone scream before. Her pain was amplified by her fear
and the gas she used. We were trying to do the right thing by her but
never before have I felt like I had been involved with the assault on
another human being. She was being told by the two (wonderful) midwives
(so no insinuation of them being to blame for this as they were really
wonderful women) and her poor husband what to do and so on which scared
her and confused her more. I held her hand and let the tears run down
my face as she sobbed my name. Did we abuse her? How do we define what
is abuse on another? How does the people who we write to evaluate this?
How do we define what is unacceptable to me but fine with the woman
birthing in the other room?
I don’t like any medical person telling me what to do: suggestions and
advice is fine. But what about the woman who can not make decisions
without firm guidance? Is it guidance or is it authorative? There are
times when we all just want someone to make the decision for us as we
can not or don’t know everything that we need to know to make the
decision.
I am not adverse to writing inn with a complaint of a care provider. I
am in my eight year of letter writing and responding!! I KNOW that if
people don’t write in a and say something then no changes can be
made...but again I come back to the diversity of perceptions. How do I
know the person reading my letters didn’t have a baby die because no one
gave her a cs when needed? How is she going to respond to me bitching
about getting a cs for no reason?
Sorry, rambling! Still processing last night and also catching up on
sleep. Another due last week so could go tonight!
Love Jo (B)
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Justine
Caines
Sent: Sunday, November 20, 2005 1:19 PM
To: OzMid List
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] question - lodging complaints
Hi Jo and All
The disclaimer from what you have said was to indemnify the Ob from
responsibility of a stuff up and it was as a response to refusal to c/s
with that logic he has acted totally against the parents wishes by
performing that episiotomy. I think having signed that form they have
more to argue, ie they were making the decisions and taking
responsibility. They made it clear what their wishes were, the husband
asked him to stop and he did not. I believe he has a case to answer re
the evidence of 'cranial haemorrhage' etc etc and what benefit was
achieved through such an assault.
It may be worthwhile contacting Andrew Bissets at John Hunter Hospital
re some facts (from an Ob) re vaginal breech as he has assisted over
400, he may have some ammo re the epis. Let me know if you want his
e-mail.
I agree with Andrea evey couple up to making a complaint should be
supported to. The former HCC Commissioner in NSW agreed with what we
said about the broken maternity system and yet said what can I do with
13 complaints for 86,000 births! She had a point.
JC
xxx
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