RE: [ozmidwifery] Re Tina's response to Denise

[Robyn Thompson]

Dear Tina

How wonderful and honest you are.  I think the most difficult thing for midwives who work in this model is the inability to have autonomy as we know it because of perpetuation of a model using fear as the major component.  The biggest issue is really the education process.  Most of our colleagues who work within this and similar models do not really have the opportunity to work with women as we know they can.

 

When the system changes to encourage midwives to work in the community with women in their homes they will then have the rounded experience that you and I have been fortunate to experience.   I believe that all students should at least have the opportunity to spend some time with us outside the system.  Ideal but necessary to change what goes on within.  The other part of this issue is that women also need to be strong and the midwife needs to know exactly what the woman wants and expects.  The midwife will feel very vulnerable if the the woman does not work in a very close relationship with her.

 

That is where we have a much better opportunity because we develop a relationship with women over the whole pregnancy a true-one-to-one.  That works to both the woman and midwife's advantage.  Some midwives are desperate to give the care they believe is necessary for women but the system stifles their creative skills.  They are controlled by the power of medicine and this is the reality of system that does not recognise the skills of the midwife.  Our colleagues in the system are also up against the power of the bureaucracy and sometimes that is more difficult than the medical men.  >From all aspects they become fear driven.  It takes a very strong midwife to stand up to the restrictions imposed.  

 

My wish is that we can all have the opportunity to experience some time outside the system with midwives who are not controlled by the systematic model of care and the restrictions imposed on them.  I want this to happen before I pass on, and right now the years are flying by.  

 

Keep you your wonderful work and let others feel your strength Tina.  

-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Judy Chapman
Sent: Wednesday, November 27, 2002 3:31 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [ozmidwifery] Re Tina's response to Denise

 

 

....Recently in working with a follow thru woman, I attended her pregnancy

care visits to the hospital....her model of care was midwife-led care in a

birthing unit.....but I was amazed at how subordinate and not so midwife-led

it was. Some of the midwives were in their care of the woman far happier to

defer or abdicate decisions to the doctors inorder to 'keep the peace' and

were very accepting of medical dominant policy/protocol....While some of the

midwives seem to embrace the whole responsibility/accountability

thing....many do not...and would rather be seen in the handmaiden role in

preference to accepting full responsibility for their midwife role. I suppose

what I'm getting at here is if midwives don't see themselves differently to

nurses...if midwives don't take themselves seriously as autonomous

practitioners...if midwives don't have the trust and faith in their midwifery

knowledge and skills to embrace responsibility and accountability...then how

can we ask that anyone else does....be it the government...the medical

profession...the public..???

yours in reforming midwifery

Tina Pettigrew

Bachelor of Midwifery Student

Victoria University

 

I have to agree with you Tina. Our birth centre midwives are autonymous but I find the attitude you describe in the Birth Suite of the Women's Health Unit. There are some that try to step out but not enough. When I hear stories of other units I believe that ours is further down the track but still has a long way to go. I will have to  leave them to it though as I go to Mareeba soon.

I wrote recently about a woman booked for CS who birthed under her own steam. During the morning when I was getting to know her and finding out what she WANTED to do, she said she wanted a normal birth. I did the empowering thing of saying, among other things,  they can't do a CS if she doesn't sign the consent, she said "Already done yesterday in preadmission". I got the form and gave it to her and she tore it up. Great. NOW not able to do a CS without further explanation. As it was she progressed and pushed well and is a happy woman after a normal birth.

Judy

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