Re: [ozmidwifery] FYI news article

[diane]

Not everyones home is a haven. For some it can represent other more less savoury things, the least of being an ongoing place of toil, the worst being a place of fear and domestic violence. The memories flood of a half renovated (for 10 yrs), with no internal walls in places, no floor coverings, an outdoor loo, cockroaches and fleas in summer and endless piles of childrens washing waiting to be folded.   Now I am home visiting women after the birth, (anytime from four hours after birth), and seeing much the same thing at times. So I guess although the five star option is there for those who can afford private cover, the gold star option of a midwife visiting them at home (so much as it sometimes is) is happening and available for those in a very low socioeconomic area. Soon whith our area moving to midwifery group practice, many of the women will have a known midwife visiting them, already I know many that I visit.   To Janet and her supporters, your work is so valuable. JB is so valuable. BUT the tone of your posts is inflamatory and defensive. Guess what Felicity, even I ,who spends endless hours on the internet , had not heard of JB before joining this list, I have not seen the physical presence in the community or stumbled across it online at other times. To me that doesnt mean those who are on JB arent doing fantastic work, but so is Kelly, Pinky, Sarah Buckley, Andrea, Brenda Manning, Jan Cornfoot and all of the others who run commercial style programs. If women get the message, some education about normal birth, what does it matter. I dont find any of the information watered down, just presented in a gentle commercial style that women are used to. Whats wrong with marketing to the masses if the product is good? Isn't that what we want? More women having natural, satisfying births no matter the setting. They will still tell their friends it is possible and women will regain the ownership of birth, they will not see the need for an OB.   We are all working towards the same end from different directions. This is an important aspect of facilitating change. If the 'long haired hairy leggged hippy homebirth faction' (the words of a friend of mine) are the only ones speaking then many will not hear BUT in any action it is important to have the vocal, radical faction to wave the banners, climb the trees etc to draw attention to the cause. I want to save the forests but wont sit in a tree, I will write letters to the pollies!. But thank God for the tree sitters for getting the media on to it! JB keep tree sitting, Kelly keep on keeping on.   I first became interested in Midwifery 19yrs ago when preg with my second. I was a postnatally depressed out of work, impoverished electrician with a little baby and a bad relationship. Now that there is some mainstream discussion and commercial exposure I am finally starting to see some hope. 19yrs ago I was part of a group that tried to promote natural birth, this was before the internet, but not dissimilar to JB. That approach has been tapping away forever with small but significant gains. If there are enough women to support commercial enterprises that focus on natural birth, then we are definitely well on our way to success. There is no way that anyone could have made a living out of normal birth back then, and now many are following their passion. If there are publicly funded homebirths happening, we are on our way to success. When we have things like this to bicker over, then we are on our way to success. We should be celebrating, not undermining each others success. Di ----- Original Message ----- From: Lisa Barrett To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Sent: Friday, September 22, 2006 4:11 PM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] FYI news article I-----  Every contribution counts and whilst I think I understand the point you're trying to make about reaching the mainstream, it's dangerous to begin tempering our message to better enable us to begin "marketing" it to the majority gratuitously - women and babies are not a market and our integrity is not for sale.  I fear the overstepping of that invisible line that would transform us into nothing too different from the Obs and Hospys - big business, marketed to the masses (for instance, in my personal experience, your forum/site needs to compromise a lot in order to appeal to the larger membership you enjoy; this results in some less than optimal advertising and advice, and the sad loss of some wonderful contributions and items.  Do the ends justify the means? That's a decision we each need to make, and your contribution is still significant, though not necessarily in the form I would personally choose for myself).  What is the point of a message reaching more people if the message has had to be diluted and perhaps changed in order to get there?  Nothing is simple and these aspects need to be considered.  It is the various voices of all of us that shed light on darker areas of the topic; some more straightforward and uncompromising contributions may seem difficult to hear but they're usually the most valuable and evidence-based in my experience, and I enjoy them thoroughly.   -- I agree totally with this.  I could never agree with women going to a 5 star facility instead of going home or in fact not leaving their home at all, when we know this would prevent the need in the first place.  I don't want my views to be dumbed down so that uniformed women can think they are more palitable.  The women on the thread that was posted here weren't thinking of their pregnancy birth or baby but of the fantastic offer of 5 star accommodation.  I just feel sorry for the reality that lies ahead for them after their awful birth ( published figures at Ashford the hospital in the story.... section rate 49.9% instramental rate 16%)  well I don't think they are going to be over subscribed since only 34% of women over the whole year birth normally.  Some months none do.   Lisa