Dear All
You know there are times when I get tired of hearing all this sanctimonious pretensiousness about women trusting their bodies to birth etc etc. For generations our bodies have been letting us down. If they didn't there would be no need for Catherine Hamlins Fistula Hospital in Addis Abbaba, or for those women of our great grandmothers era where they had many pregnancies and few living children to show for them. Sure we have come a long way with sanitation and clean water etc, but our bodies do go off the rails sometimes, and it is through no fault of our own, so let's keep some sanity going.
The medicalisation of birth is of plague proportions, but let's be fair there is a role. It's just getting the balance / getting the roles right!
And, yes I am a midwife who practices in a hospital, and I admire you independent practitioners, but I get very frustrated with the imbalances. The negativity around the obstetric model of birth and the perennial rosey glow painted around the homebirth. Where is the truth?
Somewhere in between where there is mutual respect for the skills of both methinks?
There, I've stuck my head out of the closet ... it's all this Christmas madness that's getting to me!
Regards ... Vaal
With the World Health Organisation suggesting up to 85% of women birthing naturally and in this country the converse of about 10 –15 percent actually achieving it bring on as much “sanctimonious pretentiousness” as possible. As a mother of 2 (2 and 9 months and pregnant with my third) and a ratbag consumer I see the disgraceful tail end of the fear and lack of any real belief in ones body. I will respect the obstetric profession when they act with honesty and practice evidence based medicine. I support the wonderful practitioners that ‘save’ women and babies with serious problems and have witnessed this with a friend and a 29 wk bub. But for now every ounce of my respect love and hard work will go to support Independent Practitioners who have so much against them and who work 24 / 7 and demonstrate such faith in women. Sorry I am a recipient of this faith and I am a true believer in my bodies ability, my midwife showed me how. As for Addis Ababa, please do not compare women of the developing world that endure sexual relations and abuse from a young age, numerous pregnancies, poor sanitation and are nutritionally compromised etc etc.
I support system midwifery for those who choose it and take my hat off to women who work and make a difference against the odds of obstetric control. But please do not rob the vast majority of women that can birth beautifully. Women have enough against them modern media telling them they are too fat, bad mothers, ungrateful wives, too opinionated too something bloody else.
If we want to look at what is happening in Australia let’s look at the NH&MRC Report into Maternal Deaths and the 46 “preventable” ones, and why our beautiful, healthy young women believe elective caesarean to be the safer option and so convenient to fit in with hubby’s holidays!
Justine Caines
(Mum to Ruby 2 and 2 months, Clancy 9 months and a belly bug due July 02)
