Re: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife
Tania i know what you do and what you have been through do not ever say again you have taken the easy way out!! Independent midwives put up with a lot of crap in hospitals and take on a huge burden in the lack of insurance support etc. You (as in us who care for women at home) are the first people look at when they hear of unsafe waterbirths or birth in the garden etc etc it is ind midwives who put up with the well i would have loved a homebirth but i couldn't take that risk with my baby crap that just goes on and on and on...my personal point is that I have had some pretty crappy things happen to me as a hospital based midwife in the hospital by other hospital midwievs, but but but I am still a midwife not a cog in the wheel of institutionalized birth and it is that i resent or ark up to BelindaXXX Tania Smallwood wrote: Absolutely Rachel, I am only too aware that I have chosen the 'easy way out' by making the conscious decision not to practice in the hospital system, and you are right, those women who enter into a system that is fragmented and fear-based, definitely need woman centred midwives who are willing to put themselves on the line for the rights of the women in their care. I'm slightly disturbed by what appears a growing trend not to identify ourselves if our opinions or ideas vary from that of the general feel of the list at the time. I've always felt safe here, despite the fact that I am in the minority based on my place of work. We don't need to always agree, spirited conversation and debate is one of the ways I think we can all learn and become more educated...none of us know it all, I'm the first to admit that! However, there is something slightly offputting, and I must say it's hard to respond in a personal manner, when the poster won't even put a first name to their post. I'm happy to own my ideas and opinions, and to be supported or otherwise as a result of sharing them publically... Tania -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of wump fish Sent: Thursday, 3 November 2005 2:25 PM To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife It is sad to hear yet another hospital midwife feeling under attack. It can be argued that hospital midwives have an even greater role to play in changing the maternity service and catering for women's needs. I turned down the chance of working as an independent in the UK because I believed that the women in hospital needed me more. They were birthing in a strange environment amongst strangers, many in vulnerable social situations. The statistics demonstrated the poor chances these women had of avoiding an instrumental birth or c-section. It is because most women give birth in hospitals, and because the statistics for physiological birth are shocking - that hospital midwives are so important. It is time we asked ourselves how we can improve these outcomes for women and increase satisfaction rates. Many of us are, and as I have said, I have come across far more motivated midwives in the Australian hospital system than the UK. Let's not kid ourselves that there is not a lot to fight for if we do not want to end up as obstetric nurses. We are prevented in many ways from making our own clinical judgements by guidelines, policies etc. We are prevented from developing and maintaining midwifery skills such as waterbirth, suturing, full spectrum care - in some hospitals even catching the baby. It is only by acknowledging our position and refusing to accept that over 30% of women (fit and healthly by global comparison) are unable to give birth without an operation. By looking at our own contribution to individual care and to the midwifery profession. By standing together as midwives regardless of where we practise that we can start to change things for ourselves and the women we care for. We need to stop taking discussion and debate personally and take a leaf out of the drs book. Discuss, question, debate and learn. I am pleased that this debate has drawn some lurkers out to provide us with their valuable perspective we would otherwise have been ignorant of. Rachel - another hospital midwife From: mariet [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Subject: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 10:30:49 +1100 I wanted to respond to this because it touches something I've felt for a while. I've been a lurker on this list for ages but not a contributor because, despite many years as a midwife (and I use the term advisedly, I don't consider myself an obstetric nurse) I've had the impression from the language used on this forum that the work I do and even the women I look after is somehow not as valuable or important as community based midwifery or birth centre care. I don't for a moment think that this is the stated
RE: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife
My heart bleeds when I see this sort of discussion going on. I am all for healthy and passionate debate, but we should be standing together, not tearing each other apart. The medical profession doesn't need to attack us, we do that ourselves(like all oppressed groups). How can we express our disagreement over the current policy oriented maternity services without it becoming targeted on one group or another? I am grateful for those hospital based midwives who welcome my client and put her at ease when we transfer for medical assistance and try so hard to soften the harshness of the hospital environment, while still providing the clinical care required. . Thank you! I think that the only way we can change the system is to make women aware of their rights and help them function without the fear. As Caroline Flint says, everyday, tell a woman about your job as a midwife and soon the whole population will know. cheers, MM It seems that there are those who feel a midwife working in a hospital setting has sold her/his sole to the devil for doing so. But they are the ones on the front line so to speak who fight every day for the rights of birthing women, without them it would be worse. Yes there are lots of problems in every hospital in regards to care of women, but the fact is women do birth in hospitals and we need our best, most passionate midwives there standing beside them or all is lost and it will all become obstectrics care under doctors sole control with ob nurses. If no one has the passion to work in the hospitals who's left??? We are never going to get anywhere if its so easy for external forces to cause us to turn on each other so easily United we stand, divided we fall??? Yes there are going to be differences of opinion which we are all entitled to express, thats what I love about the country we live in. But we must have one goal and that is to get and give the absolute best care for women and their families no mater whether they turn up at a Birthing Centre, Hospital, in their own home or where ever. We must fight to be the worlds BEST place to have a child and make every pregnant women wish they could birth here no matter where she goes in Australia. This is the first time I have ever written anything on here so as you can tell this has sparked an interest in me. And I hope it makes sence! Amanda - Original Message - From: wump fish [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 2:25 PM Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife It is sad to hear yet another hospital midwife feeling under attack. It can be argued that hospital midwives have an even greater role to play in changing the maternity service and catering for women's needs. I turned down the chance of working as an independent in the UK because I believed that the women in hospital needed me more. They were birthing in a strange environment amongst strangers, many in vulnerable social situations. The statistics demonstrated the poor chances these women had of avoiding an instrumental birth or c-section. It is because most women give birth in hospitals, and because the statistics for physiological birth are shocking - that hospital midwives are so important. It is time we asked ourselves how we can improve these outcomes for women and increase satisfaction rates. Many of us are, and as I have said, I have come across far more motivated midwives in the Australian hospital system than the UK. Let's not kid ourselves that there is not a lot to fight for if we do not want to end up as obstetric nurses. We are prevented in many ways from making our own clinical judgements by guidelines, policies etc. We are prevented from developing and maintaining midwifery skills such as waterbirth, suturing, full spectrum care - in some hospitals even catching the baby. It is only by acknowledging our position and refusing to accept that over 30% of women (fit and healthly by global comparison) are unable to give birth without an operation. By looking at our own contribution to individual care and to the midwifery profession. By standing together as midwives regardless of where we practise that we can start to change things for ourselves and the women we care for. We need to stop taking discussion and debate personally and take a leaf out of the drs book. Discuss, question, debate and learn. I am pleased that this debate has drawn some lurkers out to provide us with their valuable perspective we would otherwise have been ignorant of. Rachel - another hospital midwife From: mariet [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Subject: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 10:30:49 +1100 I wanted to respond to this because it touches something I've felt for a while. I've been a lurker on this list for ages
Re: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife
I think MM has hit the nail on the headwe must NEVER get into tearing each other apartthe real issue is as Mary says, the need to seriously reform the system. Women deserve to be able to select the option of midwifery care from the word go...after all they can take themselves off to any Tom Dick or Harry doctor. But if we can improve the lot of women - to have the opportunity to choose the care they feel most comfortable with .then this involves a few basic changes - not the least being a change to funding arrangements AND the recognition that midwives are great practitioners - the BEST in factand women should really not be missing the chance to find one to provide maternity care..including the place they choose to give birth The real issue is a fight to let women have the choice - this is what is absent in the maternity services...as women we deserve the right .and we need to do as MM says ...the only way we can change "the system" is to make women awareof their rights and help them function without the fear. Sally T. Mary Murphy wrote: My heart bleeds when I see this sort of discussion going on. I am all for healthy and passionate debate, but we should be standing together, not tearing each other apart. The medical profession doesn't need to attack us, we do that ourselves(like all oppressed groups). How can we express our disagreement over the current policy oriented maternity services without it becoming targeted on one group or another? I am grateful for those hospital based midwives who welcome my client and put her at ease when we transfer for medical assistance and try so hard to "soften" the harshness of the hospital environment, while still providing the clinical care required. . Thank you! I think that the only way we can change "the system" is to make women aware of their rights and help them function without the fear. As Caroline Flint says, "everyday, tell a woman about your job as a midwife" and soon the whole population will know". cheers, MM It seems that there are those who feel a midwife working in a hospital setting has "sold her/his sole to the devil" for doing so. But they are the ones on the "front line" so to speak who fight every day for the rights of birthing women, without them it would be worse. Yes there are lots of problems in every hospital in regards to care of women, but the fact is women do birth in hospitals and we need our best, most passionate midwives there standing beside them or all is lost and it will all become obstectrics care under doctors sole control with "ob nurses". If no one has the passion to work in the hospitals who's left??? We are never going to get anywhere if its so easy for external forces to cause us to turn on each other so easily "United we stand, divided we fall"??? Yes there are going to be differences of opinion which we are all entitled to express, thats what I love about the country we live in. But we must have one goal and that is to get and give the absolute best care for women and their families no mater whether they turn up at a Birthing Centre, Hospital, in their own home or where ever. We must fight to be the worlds BEST place to have a child and make every pregnant women wish they could birth here no matter where she goes in Australia. This is the first time I have ever written anything on here so as you can tell this has sparked an interest in me. And I hope it makes sence! Amanda - Original Message - From: "wump fish" [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 2:25 PM Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife It is sad to hear yet another hospital midwife feeling under attack. It can be argued that hospital midwives have an even greater role to play in changing the maternity service and catering for women's needs. I turned down the chance of working as an independent in the UK because I believed that the women in hospital needed me more. They were birthing in a strange environment amongst strangers, many in vulnerable social situations. The statistics demonstrated the poor chances these women had of avoiding an instrumental birth or c-section. It is because most women give birth in hospitals, and because the statistics for physiological birth are shocking - that hospital midwives are so important. It is time we asked ourselves how we can improve these outcomes for women and increase satisfaction rates. Many of us are, and as I have said, I have come across far more motivated midwives in the Australian hospital system than the UK. Let's not kid ourselves that there is not a lot to fight for if we do not want to end up as obstetric nurses. We are prevented in m
[ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife
I have been a keen reader of the ozmidwifery site for some time, and have always admired and respected the dedication, knowledge, and passion for achieving a normal birth, that is continually portrayed on the site by homebirth midwives. It was therefore, with great disappointment that I watched the criticism unfold recently regarding the skills/practice of hospital based midwives (or supposed lack there of!!). Comments like this appear arrogant and serve only to cause division within a profession striving to provide optimal outcomes regardless of where a woman chooses to birth. Time for a reality check. We are living in a 21st century society, not Utopia. There will always be women who are unable, for many reasons, to birth safely in the familiar environment of home, or supported in a birth centre model. For these women, thankfully, there are a dedicated group of midwives willing to care for them in a hospital environment. We do not need the care we provide undermined and devalued by midwives who consider themselves elitists in the area of childbirth. Instead, what is required is a unity within the profession and mutual respect for the work we each do. At what point in the evolution of midwifery practice was there a hierarchical system introduced which relegated hospital based midwives to the bottom of the pyramid, and elevated home birth midwives to the top of the pyramid I find comments such as "deskilled and desensitised to the realities of birth" and "often lack confidence in their own midwifery skills" extremely offensive and unprofessional. Criticism was also aimed at emphasis for hospital based midwives being on education in CTG interpretation, resuscitation and emergencies. As a hospital based midwife caring for high risk women with pregnancy complications (as well as uncomplicated pregnancy and childbirth), it would be grossly negligent of the midwife to not be competent in skills such as CTG interpretation, resuscitation and obstetric emergencies. If I was a woman birthing in a hospital environment, I would expect this level of education and expertise from my midwife. Regardless of your area of practice, be proud of where you work and the care you provide, but appreciate the unique skills and knowledge of other midwives who choose a different practice setting than your own. Hospital Based Midwife. I wanted to respond to this because it touches something I've felt for a while. I've been a lurker on this list for ages but not a contributor because, despite many years as a midwife (and I use the term advisedly, I don't consider myself an obstetric nurse) I've had the impression from the language used on this forum that the work I do and even the women I look after is somehow not as valuable or important as community based midwifery or birth centre care. I don't for a moment think that this is the stated position of most of the contributors to this list. But to a hospital based midwife it certainly can come across that way. I've never been accused of being a shrinking violet butI haven't cared to expose myself here, to dismissive comments about the place I choose to workor the people I work with. Not all hospital midwives do their 8 or 10 hour shift and ignore it for the rest of the day. People are people. I have had atrocious handovers of care from the midwife on the shift before me. I have also had atrocious handovers of care, or refusal to share antenatal findings, from homebirth midwives bringing women into hospital. Women who come to the place where I work come from a wide cross section of the community. Many come from countries where English is not the first language.Some are highly educated, some are illiterate. There are early attenders and women having their fourth child in successionwithout booking in or having any antenatal care. Not to put too fine a point on it, not all families are committed to providing thebest start for their babies. As midwives we give care to all these women, the best we can. I joined this list in the hope of learning more and gaining support for some of the difficult times and knotty questions that arise. I've learned heaps and am so glad I joined; getting different viewpoints from the ones I encounter every day has been so valuable and opened my mind to many new things. But I can't say I've been confident that I would receive support, I came to the conclusion long ago that my placeof work would overshadow what I had to say and I do not feelinclined to apologise for the fact that not only do I work in a hospital Delivery Suite, I even feel satisfactin and joy in much of what I do. Another hospital midwife
RE: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife
It is sad to hear yet another hospital midwife feeling under attack. It can be argued that hospital midwives have an even greater role to play in changing the maternity service and catering for women's needs. I turned down the chance of working as an independent in the UK because I believed that the women in hospital needed me more. They were birthing in a strange environment amongst strangers, many in vulnerable social situations. The statistics demonstrated the poor chances these women had of avoiding an instrumental birth or c-section. It is because most women give birth in hospitals, and because the statistics for physiological birth are shocking - that hospital midwives are so important. It is time we asked ourselves how we can improve these outcomes for women and increase satisfaction rates. Many of us are, and as I have said, I have come across far more motivated midwives in the Australian hospital system than the UK. Let's not kid ourselves that there is not a lot to fight for if we do not want to end up as obstetric nurses. We are prevented in many ways from making our own clinical judgements by guidelines, policies etc. We are prevented from developing and maintaining midwifery skills such as waterbirth, suturing, full spectrum care - in some hospitals even catching the baby. It is only by acknowledging our position and refusing to accept that over 30% of women (fit and healthly by global comparison) are unable to give birth without an operation. By looking at our own contribution to individual care and to the midwifery profession. By standing together as midwives regardless of where we practise that we can start to change things for ourselves and the women we care for. We need to stop taking discussion and debate personally and take a leaf out of the drs book. Discuss, question, debate and learn. I am pleased that this debate has drawn some lurkers out to provide us with their valuable perspective we would otherwise have been ignorant of. Rachel - another hospital midwife From: mariet [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Subject: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 10:30:49 +1100 I wanted to respond to this because it touches something I've felt for a while. I've been a lurker on this list for ages but not a contributor because, despite many years as a midwife (and I use the term advisedly, I don't consider myself an obstetric nurse) I've had the impression from the language used on this forum that the work I do and even the women I look after is somehow not as valuable or important as community based midwifery or birth centre care. I don't for a moment think that this is the stated position of most of the contributors to this list. But to a hospital based midwife it certainly can come across that way. I've never been accused of being a shrinking violet but I haven't cared to expose myself here, to dismissive comments about the place I choose to work or the people I work with. Not all hospital midwives do their 8 or 10 hour shift and ignore it for the rest of the day. People are people. I have had atrocious handovers of care from the midwife on the shift before me. I have also had atrocious handovers of care, or refusal to share antenatal findings, from homebirth midwives bringing women into hospital. Women who come to the place where I work come from a wide cross section of the community. Many come from countries where English is not the first language. Some are highly educated, some are illiterate. There are early attenders and women having their fourth child in succession without booking in or having any antenatal care. Not to put too fine a point on it, not all families are committed to providing the best start for their babies. As midwives we give care to all these women, the best we can. I joined this list in the hope of learning more and gaining support for some of the difficult times and knotty questions that arise. I've learned heaps and am so glad I joined; getting different viewpoints from the ones I encounter every day has been so valuable and opened my mind to many new things. But I can't say I've been confident that I would receive support, I came to the conclusion long ago that my place of work would overshadow what I had to say and I do not feel inclined to apologise for the fact that not only do I work in a hospital Delivery Suite, I even feel satisfactin and joy in much of what I do. Another hospital midwife _ Be the first to hear what's new at MSN - sign up to our free newsletters! http://www.msn.co.uk/newsletters -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit http://www.acegraphics.com.au to subscribe or unsubscribe.
RE: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife
Absolutely Rachel, I am only too aware that I have chosen the 'easy way out' by making the conscious decision not to practice in the hospital system, and you are right, those women who enter into a system that is fragmented and fear-based, definitely need woman centred midwives who are willing to put themselves on the line for the rights of the women in their care. I'm slightly disturbed by what appears a growing trend not to identify ourselves if our opinions or ideas vary from that of the general feel of the list at the time. I've always felt safe here, despite the fact that I am in the minority based on my place of work. We don't need to always agree, spirited conversation and debate is one of the ways I think we can all learn and become more educated...none of us know it all, I'm the first to admit that! However, there is something slightly offputting, and I must say it's hard to respond in a personal manner, when the poster won't even put a first name to their post. I'm happy to own my ideas and opinions, and to be supported or otherwise as a result of sharing them publically... Tania -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of wump fish Sent: Thursday, 3 November 2005 2:25 PM To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife It is sad to hear yet another hospital midwife feeling under attack. It can be argued that hospital midwives have an even greater role to play in changing the maternity service and catering for women's needs. I turned down the chance of working as an independent in the UK because I believed that the women in hospital needed me more. They were birthing in a strange environment amongst strangers, many in vulnerable social situations. The statistics demonstrated the poor chances these women had of avoiding an instrumental birth or c-section. It is because most women give birth in hospitals, and because the statistics for physiological birth are shocking - that hospital midwives are so important. It is time we asked ourselves how we can improve these outcomes for women and increase satisfaction rates. Many of us are, and as I have said, I have come across far more motivated midwives in the Australian hospital system than the UK. Let's not kid ourselves that there is not a lot to fight for if we do not want to end up as obstetric nurses. We are prevented in many ways from making our own clinical judgements by guidelines, policies etc. We are prevented from developing and maintaining midwifery skills such as waterbirth, suturing, full spectrum care - in some hospitals even catching the baby. It is only by acknowledging our position and refusing to accept that over 30% of women (fit and healthly by global comparison) are unable to give birth without an operation. By looking at our own contribution to individual care and to the midwifery profession. By standing together as midwives regardless of where we practise that we can start to change things for ourselves and the women we care for. We need to stop taking discussion and debate personally and take a leaf out of the drs book. Discuss, question, debate and learn. I am pleased that this debate has drawn some lurkers out to provide us with their valuable perspective we would otherwise have been ignorant of. Rachel - another hospital midwife From: mariet [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Subject: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 10:30:49 +1100 I wanted to respond to this because it touches something I've felt for a while. I've been a lurker on this list for ages but not a contributor because, despite many years as a midwife (and I use the term advisedly, I don't consider myself an obstetric nurse) I've had the impression from the language used on this forum that the work I do and even the women I look after is somehow not as valuable or important as community based midwifery or birth centre care. I don't for a moment think that this is the stated position of most of the contributors to this list. But to a hospital based midwife it certainly can come across that way. I've never been accused of being a shrinking violet but I haven't cared to expose myself here, to dismissive comments about the place I choose to work or the people I work with. Not all hospital midwives do their 8 or 10 hour shift and ignore it for the rest of the day. People are people. I have had atrocious handovers of care from the midwife on the shift before me. I have also had atrocious handovers of care, or refusal to share antenatal findings, from homebirth midwives bringing women into hospital. Women who come to the place where I work come from a wide cross section of the community. Many come from countries where English is not the first language. Some are highly educated, some are illiterate. There are early attenders
Re: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife
It seems that there are those who feel a midwife working in a hospital setting has sold her/his sole to the devil for doing so. But they are the ones on the front line so to speak who fight every day for the rights of birthing women, without them it would be worse. Yes there are lots of problems in every hospital in regards to care of women, but the fact is women do birth in hospitals and we need our best, most passionate midwives there standing beside them or all is lost and it will all become obstectrics care under doctors sole control with ob nurses. If no one has the passion to work in the hospitals who's left??? We are never going to get anywhere if its so easy for external forces to cause us to turn on each other so easily United we stand, divided we fall??? Yes there are going to be differences of opinion which we are all entitled to express, thats what I love about the country we live in. But we must have one goal and that is to get and give the absolute best care for women and their families no mater whether they turn up at a Birthing Centre, Hospital, in their own home or where ever. We must fight to be the worlds BEST place to have a child and make every pregnant women wish they could birth here no matter where she goes in Australia. This is the first time I have ever written anything on here so as you can tell this has sparked an interest in me. And I hope it makes sence! Amanda - Original Message - From: wump fish [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 2:25 PM Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife It is sad to hear yet another hospital midwife feeling under attack. It can be argued that hospital midwives have an even greater role to play in changing the maternity service and catering for women's needs. I turned down the chance of working as an independent in the UK because I believed that the women in hospital needed me more. They were birthing in a strange environment amongst strangers, many in vulnerable social situations. The statistics demonstrated the poor chances these women had of avoiding an instrumental birth or c-section. It is because most women give birth in hospitals, and because the statistics for physiological birth are shocking - that hospital midwives are so important. It is time we asked ourselves how we can improve these outcomes for women and increase satisfaction rates. Many of us are, and as I have said, I have come across far more motivated midwives in the Australian hospital system than the UK. Let's not kid ourselves that there is not a lot to fight for if we do not want to end up as obstetric nurses. We are prevented in many ways from making our own clinical judgements by guidelines, policies etc. We are prevented from developing and maintaining midwifery skills such as waterbirth, suturing, full spectrum care - in some hospitals even catching the baby. It is only by acknowledging our position and refusing to accept that over 30% of women (fit and healthly by global comparison) are unable to give birth without an operation. By looking at our own contribution to individual care and to the midwifery profession. By standing together as midwives regardless of where we practise that we can start to change things for ourselves and the women we care for. We need to stop taking discussion and debate personally and take a leaf out of the drs book. Discuss, question, debate and learn. I am pleased that this debate has drawn some lurkers out to provide us with their valuable perspective we would otherwise have been ignorant of. Rachel - another hospital midwife From: mariet [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Subject: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 10:30:49 +1100 I wanted to respond to this because it touches something I've felt for a while. I've been a lurker on this list for ages but not a contributor because, despite many years as a midwife (and I use the term advisedly, I don't consider myself an obstetric nurse) I've had the impression from the language used on this forum that the work I do and even the women I look after is somehow not as valuable or important as community based midwifery or birth centre care. I don't for a moment think that this is the stated position of most of the contributors to this list. But to a hospital based midwife it certainly can come across that way. I've never been accused of being a shrinking violet but I haven't cared to expose myself here, to dismissive comments about the place I choose to work or the people I work with. Not all hospital midwives do their 8 or 10 hour shift and ignore it for the rest of the day. People are people. I have had atrocious handovers of care from the midwife on the shift before me. I have also had atrocious handovers of care, or refusal to share
Re: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife
I mean soul (NOT FOOT!!!) amazing what screaming children will do to your brain!! amanda - Original Message - From: Synnes [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 4:26 PM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife It seems that there are those who feel a midwife working in a hospital setting has sold her/his sole to the devil for doing so. But they are the ones on the front line so to speak who fight every day for the rights of birthing women, without them it would be worse. Yes there are lots of problems in every hospital in regards to care of women, but the fact is women do birth in hospitals and we need our best, most passionate midwives there standing beside them or all is lost and it will all become obstectrics care under doctors sole control with ob nurses. If no one has the passion to work in the hospitals who's left??? We are never going to get anywhere if its so easy for external forces to cause us to turn on each other so easily United we stand, divided we fall??? Yes there are going to be differences of opinion which we are all entitled to express, thats what I love about the country we live in. But we must have one goal and that is to get and give the absolute best care for women and their families no mater whether they turn up at a Birthing Centre, Hospital, in their own home or where ever. We must fight to be the worlds BEST place to have a child and make every pregnant women wish they could birth here no matter where she goes in Australia. This is the first time I have ever written anything on here so as you can tell this has sparked an interest in me. And I hope it makes sence! Amanda - Original Message - From: wump fish [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Sent: Thursday, November 03, 2005 2:25 PM Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife It is sad to hear yet another hospital midwife feeling under attack. It can be argued that hospital midwives have an even greater role to play in changing the maternity service and catering for women's needs. I turned down the chance of working as an independent in the UK because I believed that the women in hospital needed me more. They were birthing in a strange environment amongst strangers, many in vulnerable social situations. The statistics demonstrated the poor chances these women had of avoiding an instrumental birth or c-section. It is because most women give birth in hospitals, and because the statistics for physiological birth are shocking - that hospital midwives are so important. It is time we asked ourselves how we can improve these outcomes for women and increase satisfaction rates. Many of us are, and as I have said, I have come across far more motivated midwives in the Australian hospital system than the UK. Let's not kid ourselves that there is not a lot to fight for if we do not want to end up as obstetric nurses. We are prevented in many ways from making our own clinical judgements by guidelines, policies etc. We are prevented from developing and maintaining midwifery skills such as waterbirth, suturing, full spectrum care - in some hospitals even catching the baby. It is only by acknowledging our position and refusing to accept that over 30% of women (fit and healthly by global comparison) are unable to give birth without an operation. By looking at our own contribution to individual care and to the midwifery profession. By standing together as midwives regardless of where we practise that we can start to change things for ourselves and the women we care for. We need to stop taking discussion and debate personally and take a leaf out of the drs book. Discuss, question, debate and learn. I am pleased that this debate has drawn some lurkers out to provide us with their valuable perspective we would otherwise have been ignorant of. Rachel - another hospital midwife From: mariet [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Subject: [ozmidwifery] re: hospital based midwife Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2005 10:30:49 +1100 I wanted to respond to this because it touches something I've felt for a while. I've been a lurker on this list for ages but not a contributor because, despite many years as a midwife (and I use the term advisedly, I don't consider myself an obstetric nurse) I've had the impression from the language used on this forum that the work I do and even the women I look after is somehow not as valuable or important as community based midwifery or birth centre care. I don't for a moment think that this is the stated position of most of the contributors to this list. But to a hospital based midwife it certainly can come across that way. I've never been accused of being a shrinking violet but I haven't cared to expose myself here, to dismissive comments about the place I choose
