Response to Pete
The Mackay Birth Centre has recently celebrated a 5th Birthday! We are situated on hospital grounds- not within the hospital- our home has moved to a temporary location whilst we await the redevelopment of Mackay Base. The building itself was originally a 2 bedroom house where doctors lived. Women who choose to birth here choose between a variety of options- vast majority choose BC Midwifery care, minimal share care and a very small percentage choose to liase with a private obs. We provide Midwifery care at the BC any medical rx is elsewhere. 4 full-time Midwives currently work at the BC, on average we provide care for 14 families/mth with bookings spilling over to a waitlist for each mth. Guidelines prefer at least a 4hr stay-women are home within 24 hrs or alternatives are negotiated. On the whole Midwifery care continues at the family home. The Midwives work together as a team providing care for the family and also each other. Very important to add that we have exceptional support from our NPC Cathy. We are constantly evaluating and changing to optimally meet the needs of Women ourselves included. With the Base Hospital undertaking a unique Team Midwifery approach for all Women accessing the Base for Birth we now will endeavour to continue to provide care for Women requiring transfer to labour ward and the Womens Unit intrapartally. Up until now t/f involved the Midwives from the Womens Unit taking over the care of Women labouring and postnatal follow-up. 'Friends of the Birth Centre' are our wonderful consumer group who are dedicated to the growth and support of the BC. Hope this helps with your definition! Katrina -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit http://www.acegraphics.com.au to subscribe or unsubscribe.
Mackay BC
Well done Katrina and all midwives and women in Mackay who have kept the spirit alive and enabled it to grow. You are a shining example of quality care on the bleak landscape of maternity services in Qld. Jenny -- Jenny Gamble50 Greenmount Avenue Brisbane Independent Midwives Holland Park Ph +61 (7) 3397 5624Brisbane, Australia Q4121 -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit http://www.acegraphics.com.au to subscribe or unsubscribe.
GBS policies
Hello All, We are currently reviewing our treatment of GBS positive and GBS unknown women in labour and subsequent care of the newborn. I am interested to know what others do ( research based if possible) especially in regard to: 1. The dose and route women receive in labour and frequency 2. The time frame considered to give cover from first dose to birth 3. The observations and swabs taken on babies both treated and untreated 4. Policy for women who are unknown ? low risk ? high risk are the treated differently. Looking forward to seeing all those going to Tassie next month Regards Heather Musgrove - MILDURA __ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit http://www.acegraphics.com.au to subscribe or unsubscribe.
Midwife contacts in Byron Bay
Dear List Will be in Byron bay on hols with family middle/last weeks of September. Would love to touch base with a/some/all homebirth Midwives working in the area with view to share midwifery thoughts/learn/ have a cuppa etc If interested please respond Alesa KoziolClinical Midwifery EducatorMelbourne
a woman's right to choose midwifery care
I want to share a situation with you, colleagues, caring people, and possibly some who would oppose what I am doing. I am not prepared to identify the hospital concerned, and even if you think you know to which hospital I refer, believe me, it could be one of several. A woman whose baby is due in a couple of months has booked for care at a public hospital. This hospital does not have an antenatal clinic, and requires women to be seen in the rooms of the doctors who provide obstetric services in that hospital. The woman is not a health professional. She has made it her business to find information about birth and evidence based models of care. She decided she wanted continuity of care from one midwife, so she phoned the maternity unit at the hospital. The midwife she spoke to said the hospital did not offer that option, but directed her to independent midwives. After discussion with me the woman decided that she would like to have me provide pre-, intra- and postnatal care. She wants to have her baby in the hospital, and go home within a few hours of the birth. I explained that I do not have a visiting arrangement with the hospital concerned, meaning that when in hospital she would be under the care of another midwife from the hospital as well as me. (I'm sure you get the picture - the hospital uses the word 'support person', and although support is a marvellous thing, and one of the things I aim to do, I am and will continue to be, a midwife, whether or not the hospital acknowledges me as such!) The woman phoned the doctor's receptionist to cancel her next appointment, and to inform the doctor that she would only be coming back to him if she required specialist care. She was informed that she was not allowed to change to a midwife's care. The woman phoned the hospital, and was told that it 'not medically possible' for her to keep her booking at the hospital, and have the model of care that she had chosen. The woman has written a letter of complaint to the CEO of the hospital. This sort of medical monopoly and anti-competitive behaviour is very offensive to me, and to those who seek my services. According to the Trades Practices Act, it is the purchaser and not the seller of a service who should determine what is the best product. I offer a service for which I am qualified, and which is my livelihood. Having just completed a submission to the Senate Inquiry (as have quite a few others on the list) I am acutely aware of the inappropriate medicalisation of well women in pregnancy and birth. We cannot afford to be complacent about this. WE have a better option. I have told this story to remind myself and others that coming generations of women will be subjected to unnecessary tests, surgery, self-doubt, depression, and many other unpleasant sequelae if we do not change the delivery of care in mainstream maternity services. Sincerely Joy Johnston Midwife and lactation consultant [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.aitex.com.au/joy.htm -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit http://www.acegraphics.com.au to subscribe or unsubscribe.
When is a midwife not a midwife???
Dear Nigel Cathy, A carpenter is a carpenter ,,, point taken. In response I would like to offer you a scenario and some questions. Please know that this is NOT an argument for or against 'direct entry'. The questions are genuine and sincere. Scenario (we'll give the person an alias, "Jennie"). Jennie did her midwifery training in the mid 70's, immediately after her graduation as a general nurse - a midwife was what she chose to be. During her 'Midwifery' (in a Sydney hospital) she was blessed with the most wonderful Midwifery Educator (Jan Robinson - her real name and not an alias!) who truly taught Jennie what it meant to "be with woman". Jennie loved being a midwife, and to enhance that role became actively involved in what was known at the time as Homebirth Australia, Parents Centres Australia, Childbirth Education Association and Nursing Mothers. Jennie trained as a Childbirth Educator and moved to outback Australia where she nurtured, birthed and cared for her three precious children. She only ever worked a very short period of time after that as a midwife (the baby who was born on Jennie's last day as a "midwife" would now be 18 years old). She then worked as a part-time childbirth eductor. Jennie became involved with working with other women (mostly but not always midwives) who wished to pursue graduate studies in Childbirth Education - that role continues for Jennie. In response to community needs Jennie trained as a Child and Family Nurse, a short time later she and her family moved to another country town. Jennie continued to work as a Childbirth Educator, she saw this as an extension of her role as a midwife. She then gained graduate qualifications in women's health nursing and this role extended further still. Working full-time as a Women's Health Nurse (and continuing to do so), Jennie believes that this again is an extension of what she holds in her heart as truly "being with woman". The women Jennie sees may or may not be pregnant, for example doestic violence although endemic in pregnancy, still occurs at other life phases, vaginismus (often of iatrogenic origin) although common in the post-natal period can also occur at other times in a woman's life - (by the way, midwives must never presume that the pregnant woman (including one in a married heterosexual relationship) is pregnant as a result of heterosexual intercourse - even pregnant women can be "virgins"). I forgot to mention that Jennie also completed post-graduate qualifications in sexual counselling. Jennie occasionally works with midwives e.g. workshops on sexual assault awareness or sexuality workshops and of course, those who are Childbirth Education Grad Dip Candidates. If someone were to ask Jennie about her professional role, she may answer, depending on who and why the person is asking, that she is a: - a midwife - a nurse - a clinical nurse consultant in women's health - a childbirth educator - a PhD candidate - a women's health nurse. Let me finally get to my questions Nigel and Cathy, and anyone else who cares to respond. If a carpenter is a carpenter in the way you portrayed, then Jennie is not a midwife in the same sense. Does Jennie, in your opinion, have the right to call herself a midwife? Does she have the right to sit on Advisory Boards and Curriculum Committees that affect birthing women and the midwifery profession? Thanks for ploughing through my scenario and taking the time to respond. Elaine Dietsch 11 Willow St Leeton NSW 2705 02 69 533 272 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit http://www.acegraphics.com.au to subscribe or unsubscribe.
