hi, I just wanted to thank everyone on this list that have not been afraid to stand up for what they believe (wether it was in agreement with me or not). It has come time for me to put all my energy into my family and real life relationships. I will still be on Joyous Birth and hopefully will catch up with people around the birthing scene.
My email addy is [EMAIL PROTECTED] if people would like to keep in contact. I haven't been very vocal in recent times on this list due to some very horrible emails being sent to me in reaction to my views and opinions on this list. I still check my emails everyday to see what's been happening so have still been around. Thanks again. One thing I would like to leave with everyone, one of my favourite qoutes ~ "Well behaved women rarely make history" Love Abby (P.S. For those of you who were following my sisters pregnancy and birth issues with Ryde ~ my sister gave birth to a beautiful, big baby boy. He was born in the water, which was something my sister never considered. She laboured beautifully at home for 10 hours and the headed to the hospital at 4pm, birthed at 5pm. For a hospital birth it was really lovely. The only negative, a midwife came in who had never met my sister before and started telling her what to do, not in a bossy way but just in an 'I'm the expert' way. I'm sure she thought she was being helpful but it really threw my sister. She really only wanted her chosen people in with her and so stopped during pushing to ask who she was. the midwife didn't even introduce herself. I think it is so important for midwives to respect women in labour in hospitals, just as you would not walk into birthing womans home unannounced and just assume your role.That was my sisters only complaint. She said it was her best birth out o! f her three.) > Sue Cookson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Hi, > I'm still getting only the odd email so apologies if I repeat what > anyone else has said. > Justine really has her finger on the pulse in terms of consumer > apathy/lack of knowledge. One thing that really struck me as I was > completing my midwifery degree though and doing my clinical placements, > was how scared most midwives working in the hospitals are of being sued. > > They practice defensive midwifery/obstetrics becuase they are constantly > > covering their arses. > > The same story of course with all the doctors. And that's how we are all > > taught, as such. And as a student, when I dared to stand up for the > women to stay off the CTG or refuse a c/section just because it was 8pm > what did I get - abuse and fear thrown at me by 'senior' midwives - 'it > will be on your head if that baby dies' stuff. And I'm not kidding or > making this up. This is how we as students are taught - be it within a > BMid degree or as a post grad nurse... and we work besdie all the fear > based doctors... > > Of course I discussed CTG vs intermittent auscultation, etc etc and > placed the documents on the desk the next morning, but if I hadn't had > my 20 odd years of normal birth prior to doing my placements then I > would be learning to behave and think like others who work in and for > the system. I was even challenged fully for delaying cord clamping ..by > a young doctor ..who of course was taught that cutting the cord > stimulates the baby to breathe... and when I presented a PP presentation > > to other midwives in the unit about delayed cord clamping - one > response? None of us cut the cord early here anyway. Duh - I nearly fell > > over. This is why there is so little change.... > > And don't bite my head off either - I know there are also midwives > working in the system who are doing fantastic work to enact change - to > policies and attitudes, to empower the women ... bu in my mind, the > change will have to occur as a total change - like midwifery led units > with little doctor input, where midwives are happy to truly advocate for > > the women and be prepared to continue to learn - like taking women past > 41 weeks or even 42 weeks if all is well, taking on care of normal birth > > with all its facets .... birthing happier and healthier babies with > mothers intact about their birth process and should I say it .. maybe > even empowered as mothers and parents. > > Sue > > > > >Nah, not throwing it out the window at all, I see it as having great > >potential and a great opportunity to learn and develop for Australia. > It's > >great for everyone to know what you've just said Justine, as no-one > really > >knows anything about what's going on, and all the work occurring behind > the > >scenes. The more we know about progress, the more we can work together > and > >understand the whys and hows and get excited. Also good for morale I > think, > >seeing and hearing progress... but with that you also need to talk > >challenges, goals and improvements to be made. > > > >Perhaps you might like to speak at the conference and let us know what > you > >have been doing, what you are hoping to do and how you are working with > NZ > >to help our case here? I would be more than happy, I am sure everyone > would > >love to know and also ways they can help women have more options in > >Australia. Lyn Allison is going to be listening - its an opportunity to > be > >heard which we can't miss, no matter how many times we have to say it. > > > >Best Regards, > > > >Kelly Zantey > >Creator, BellyBelly.com.au > >Conception, Pregnancy, Birth and Baby > >BellyBelly Birth Support > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Justine > Caines > >Sent: Monday, January 08, 2007 1:47 PM > >To: OzMid List > >Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] where has this list gone? > > > >Dear Kelly and all > > > >Some additional information may assist you before you totally throw the > NZ > >model out the window. > > > >For those of us who have lobbied at high levels, and been involved with > >writing (and selling!) NMAP etc we needed to totally understand the > good and > >the bad of NZ. > > > >Kelly your statements re intervention in NZ on a broad brush are not > totally > >true. > > > >One of the major down falls of the stats (ie c/s) is the midwifery > >interaction with obstetrics (ie large metro units that have the > greatest > >birth numbers). To prove this look at the NZ rural units stats where > >midwives are providing a total care package without an obstetric unit > and > >epidural service at the door. These stats are stunning. > > > >The funding arrangement is NZ is wonderful. It gives parity to each > >maternity health professional undertaking the same work. It has been > >legislated (s88). It also places the woman at the centre to choose her > carer > >and direct payment accordingly. The consumer focus re dispute > resolution is > >stunning. (Are you aware of this Kelly) Compare all of this with > Australia. > >Women are mostly treated as a piece of meat that will make them money. > Last > >week I heard a GP/Ob respond to 6 complaints with "Well I'm trying to > run a > >business". > > > >Australian women have no real choice. Choice of a private Hosp and > private > >Ob is NOT choice. 1% access to midwifery is NOT CHOICE. > > > >So one of the major solutions for them (NZ) and us is a total midwifery > >scope of practice that does not place a woman within an obstetric > dominated > >setting unless there is clinical need. This means home birth and stand > >alone midwifery units, this means women labouring at home for as long > as > >possible (with their midwife). You only need to look at Australian > >co-located birth centres to get a similar picture. Yes it is the best > we > >have but the 50% transfer rate is not representative of women's > incapacity > >or midwifery care (on the whole). It is as a result of obstetric > domination > >and protocols that have no basis of evidence. This is how we set > midwifery > >and women up to fail. Why can't a woman with PROM labour in a BC? > What > >difference is the transfer to a theatre from delivery suite to BC? This > is a > >total furphy. So are many other's that exist. > > > >The answer in Australia is firstly a funding stream. Medicare for > midwives > >(without restriction). Then women actually have a funded choice. From > >there many hurdles (no doubt). I agree women are the key, but it is > nearly > >impossible to get women to fight for or even explore something they > have no > >experience of. So a funded choice would get the cultural change > happening. > >To do this we need midwives that are with women so I believe it is a > >partnership of change. Women will lead but midwives will be there > right > >beside them. > > > >In solidarity > > > >Justine > > > > > >-- > >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. > > > >__________ NOD32 1.1454 (20060321) Information __________ > > > >This message was checked by NOD32 antivirus system. > >http://www.nod32.com > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > 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.
