Personally, I see it in a far wider context where birth, pregnancy and breastfeeding are just all aspects of women's lives and are thus constrained by a lack of genuine choice and yet many potential pacifiers and hoops to jump through. I can't approach birth on it's own because it's merely a reflection of all else in our lives. So many women still have little economic or personal power within families, we are survivors of all manner of violence in all manner of situations, we are trained to oppress ourselves and hate our female bodies. It's a wonder to me that some women see through this for whatever reason and pursue truly nurturing choices for themselves and their babies instead of doing what gets the biggest pat on the head. I cannot see birth without seeing the rest of our lives. Sometimes in Joyous Birth we joke that the last thing we're about is birth. Not that we don't provide immense amounts of information, we just don't isolate it but put it in that wider context. Once we make empowered decisions in the rest of our lives, we naturally make them in birth and breastfeeding. Once we are supported we have enough to maintain us through the intensity of early parenting without falling prey to "sleep trainers" and formula manufacturers. So while the forces against us are are multi-pronged and powerful, some of the solution can be simple. And I stop myself going mad, as I answer yet another question about how VBAC is safer, induction sux, breasts make enough milk with enough stimulation by debriefing and retaining a sense of humour. Feminists are funny - or we'd be mad with grief all the time. Each time one woman makes a decision that saves her life and her mental health, there is a ripple effect. Hopefully those will grow. : )
----- Original Message ----- From: "Barbara Glare & Chris Bright" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au> Sent: Monday, January 08, 2007 8:09 PM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] How do you deal with your fustrations? > Hi, > > I have become fairly philosophical about it (I guess I have to for self > preservation!) I think that if a woman has grown up, been socialised in > this culture and is now an adult, I have to be accepting of the decision she > makes. If nothing in her 30 years (or whatever) has taught her to take > responsibility for her own decisions, has taught her to trust her own body, > or has led her to believe that breastfeeding is something worth doing, > nothing I say will probably change her mind, but still, I will speak up for > natural birth and breastfeeding. > > And sometimes something I may say or do might have resonance with a woman > and contribute a little to her decision making. > > Barb > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au> > Sent: Monday, January 08, 2007 3:57 PM > Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] How do you deal with your fustrations? > > > > > > To me the way women (society) veiws pregnancy reflects the current trend > > to > > rush for medical assistance in any situation. Common colds, neck pain, > > constipation, insomnia, depression, obesity, you name it. Instead of > > looking > > within at underlying emotional issues, considering diet, toxins such as > > refined foodstuffs, stress, chemicals.....whatever, you get my drift, the > > list is long. Any way instead of resolving the underlying causes or > > problems > > there is an increasing tendance to run for a fix-up, a suppression of > > symptoms. > > > > I see too often pregnancy considered by women as a medical problem to be > > managed. What do some do the minute they think they are pregnant....make > > an > > appointment with a doctor for confirmation...and so it begins. Do the > > doctors tell them that evidence concludes midwives to be the specialists > > in > > nornmal maternity care? Yeah right! In society the common assumption is > > the > > highest scientifically "qualifed" person must be the best one for the job. > > > > Interesting what you say about having already paid up front and not > > wanting > > to loose out financially having already paid an Obs...THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS! > > I > > am personally in favour of women changing streams of care whatever their > > gestation. > > Just my ramblings.... > > Wendy > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Julie Clarke" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au> > > Sent: Monday, January 08, 2007 1:11 PM > > Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] How do you deal with your fustrations? > > > > > >> Hi Rachael, > >> I sometimes share your frustrations in wondering why on earth women > >> choose > >> OB's to care for them - particularly when they whinge about them so much! > >> However what women are after is continuity of care because they want some > >> feeling of certainty over who is going to be with them when they birth in > >> short it gives them a feeling of security and the other main reason is > >> the > >> perceived "quality" of the care because an OB is regarded in Australia as > >> the highest qualified of anyone to deal with pregnancy and birth. > >> The other astonishing fact is that OB's don't even need to lift a finger > > to > >> "market" themselves... it's all done for them by our medically supportive > >> system. > >> > >> Yesterday I had a reunion with a group who had received mixed care; some > > by > >> midwives some by private OB's and when they shared their stories and > >> discovered such big differences in the way they had been cared for; the > >> proof is in the pudding after all isn't it? A couple of them were saying > >> "I'm definitely going to a birth centre or have midwifery care next > >> time!" > >> > >> You might ask well why didn't they learn about this in the preparation > >> classes, well they did, but they often say they are not able to change > > late > >> in the pregnancy because they have already paid completely up front well > > in > >> advance to the OB and they worry about getting their money back, they > > assume > >> they can't, or they cannot get into a midwifery program or a birth centre > > at > >> a very late stage of pregnancy. > >> > >> The reunion confirms a lot for them as they share their stories, one of > > the > >> lovely couples yesterday had had a wonderful homebirth with the terrific > >> midwives at St George hospital and the rest of the group were thrilled > >> for > >> them and listened to all the details "It was a wonderful 6 hour labour, > >> relaxing in a pool in the lounge room and the midwife just stayed quietly > >> next to me and it was very peaceful..." > >> > >> Warm hug > >> Julie > >> > >> > >> Julie Clarke > >> Childbirth and Parenting Educator > >> ACE Grad-Dip Supervisor > >> NACE Advanced Educator and Trainer > >> > >> Transition into Parenthood > >> 9 Withybrook Pl > >> Sylvania NSW 2224. > >> T. (02) 9544 6441 > >> F. (02) 9544 9257 > >> Mobile 0401 2655 30 > >> email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> www.julieclarke.com.au > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> -----Original Message----- > >> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dan & Rachael > >> Austin > >> Sent: Monday, 8 January 2007 10:19 AM > >> To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au > >> Subject: [ozmidwifery] How do you deal with your fustrations? > >> > >> I get so fustrated when I know people who choose subordinate (in my > > opinion) > >> > >> levels of care. What I mean is, healthy women who choose care under an > >> obstetrician. They get roped into the high tech repeated u/s, > >> monitoring, > >> for the "just in case" ignorant way of thinking. They end up having > > highly > >> intervened vaginal births (but they see as 'natural birth' because it is > >> vaginal) or worse a necessary unnecessary cs. Does this make sense? > >> > >> I have been up most of the night stewing over this, because a 4 of my > >> rellies have recently choosen this type of care to end up with the same > >> results... and they think I'm weird because I choose to birth at home! > >> OK > >> so I'm a midwife (new at the game, but still), so maybe the extra > > knowledge > >> helped me to make 'good' or appropriate choices for me, but what stops > > women > >> > >> from investigating choices for themselves? Why do they so blindly give > >> themselves to medical men in every sense of the word? Do women really > >> believe that they don't have the power to birth themselves and that they > >> really need help? Do they really think nature got it that wrong? AHH!! > >> > >> How do you get 'over it'? How do you talk with these women about birth in > >> social conversatin without lecturing them? > >> > >> Hope this makes sense.. i'm tired! > >> > >> -- > >> 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. > >> > >> > >> -- > >> No virus found in this incoming message. > >> Checked by AVG Free Edition. > >> Version: 7.1.410 / Virus Database: 268.16.7/619 - Release Date: 1/7/2007 > >> > >> > > > > -- > > 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. >
