Hi Janet
I guess I am baseing my comments on my own experiences. As a community team
midwife (UK) I was responsible for the 41wk home visit to women who were
'post dates' and the information giving/discussion on which they based their
choices - do nothing (always my first topic), membrane sweep and/or referral
to the hospital unit at 42wks for induction. I can honestly say that I
covered all the negative aspects of induction and the impact on the baby
(syntocinon is dangerous stuff). However, very few women opted to wait until
labour started, despite having the support of a mw who was more than happy
to wait with them. They did not see a dr - so no pressure there. Many stated
their reason for the choice was being fed up of being pregnant. I personally
hate induction, but as a midwife I have to support women's choices whether
they make a choice I like or not.
Haven't had an opportunity to discuss induction with women in Australia -
this seems to be a drs job here.
Rachel
From: "Janet Fraser" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Resounding failure of "active labour management"
Date: Wed, 1 Feb 2006 13:26:06 +1100
Rachel,
I only hear this from health professionals. I don't hear it from women, not
even the most mainstream hospy birthing mamas with whom I deal. It's a very
small percentage of women who embrace this technology, and an even smaller
number who knowingly embrace it. If you read mainstream birth stories they
usually start with "My baby was 10 days overdue so my hospital/surgeon said
I had to be induced." The women are generally scared, although normal
physiological birth scares them too, but have no idea of the massive risks
involved. When it all goes pearshaped, as it so often does, the
hospital/surgeon and those around them tell the woman she is defective and
can't birth "properly". It sometimes leads to ERC solely for fear as women
are so shocked by the assault of active management that they seek to
control the process in future by choosing surgery without the horror of
labour under these circumstances. Of course, the profiting surgeon is only
too happy to oblige.
Apart from women transferred from BCs to labour wards, the most traumatised
women I see are those who have had active management foisted on them by
hospital policies and the belief that you can't say no. Not that saying no
helps women in most hospitals anyway, you only need to read those same
birth stories to hear that also. Whatever MWs in hospitals are being asked
about induction and active management, women are really not understanding
what it is and I almost never hear of a woman who *wants* to be induced,
they just don't know they don't have to be. Most women now believe that
without interventions like induction and ARM that babies won't come and
that women don't know how to go into labour.
Tragic but something I see all the time. Try some mainstream birth forums
to read the same story over and over and over again.
http://www.bubhub.com.au/community/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=95
http://members.essentialbaby.com.au/index.php?s=0414c493308393a14870b1d37c5c09ff&showforum=49
J
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