Dear Sue, I know (too well) what you are feeling, and my heart aches for you. Congratulations on a heroic birthjourney travelled together. The woman involved will be forever indebted to you for your courageous support in a most unhospitable environment. Rest, regather your strength. Email me off-list if I can be of ANY help in ANY way. Love to you, Lois
----- Original Message ----- From: "Sue Cookson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, January 05, 2003 12:27 PM Subject: [ozmidwifery] DISHEARTENED ANGRY AND ASHAMED Hi all, Am writing my last missive to this list but would love some replies before I sign off. I was in attendance at a Christmas day birth. 41 week 34 year old primip, everything normal in pregnancy, but endured severe pain in early labour and was unable to 'break through' this. So, 24 hrs after SRM, and 12 hours of severe pain, 3 cms and needing help. Light mec with some tachchardia. Arrival at hospital at 7.30 am First midwife (older and 'very experienced') declared baby to be either breech or OP. Wee in this cup she demanded to a woman who was screaming in pain. Lie here then and examined her through a contraction ...probably OP ... Next came the Resident who asked the woman how tall she was. 5'2" was the reply - Well your husband had a big head so there is probably disproportion, and baby will not fit through. Our request was simply for an epidural for pain relief. Next doctor arrived, the registrar who said " I will order an epidural, a syntocinon drip and antibiotics" (the latter because she was prolonged rupture of membranes). We just want pain relief was her answer - no to routine antibiotics and routine synto. "So what are you going to do," he asked, "just lie about all day?" Next midwife on duty had been an independent midwife for 10 years. She repeated the request about 10 times to have synto set up - this with a baby whose heartrate was incredibly variable, and whose contractions had remained very strong throughout. Fresh mec appeared on and off. Catheterised with a bag against our request - we were happy for the catheter to be inserted and removed, but not left in. "I can't take it out, says the ex homebirth midwife, because I might need to catheterise you again." To cut a long story short, all we asked for was 4 hours of pain relief followed by a period of being active, maybe cutting down or out the epidural, and assessing progress. Such a big request?? ( I had experienced a similar situation only a few weeks before with a wonderful outcome of baby being born vaginally and home 3 hours later - same hospital, next door room) The ex homebirth midwife said she had never seen anyone up and active with an epidural in, and then said the woman failed the 'test'to be able to manage that (left leg was pretty heavy). She could not take responsibility for the woman to be active. We negotiated our way through that ... ambulate at our own risk... Hours later progress was negligible, so we asked for a few more hours, being hassled the entire way about oxytocics. So about 12 hours after admission there, we agreed to a c/section after no progress. We negotiated a lotus birth and that was agreed to. So baby born 8.30 pm Christmas Day by epidural c/section. Apgars 9/9 but baby held at the resus table for 13 mins anyway - after being told that if she was 'pink and screaming' she would go straight to mum. baby then to mum for a brief 'look' then off to wherever. Told she was a little off colour - this followed by a decision to put babe in special care for 4 hours for observation. Luckily lovely midwife had come on duty and took baby out of special care and in to dad's arms until mum was out of recovery and back in her room. Initially told dad could stay there (single room) but when requested a mattress, told dad had to go home (45 mins away) Lotus birth presented a major problem to the staff, who told mum it put them at risk, and in fact wrapped placenta up in industrial waste bag/ toxic waste plastic bag. Second morning slight redness at umbilicus, with streaks up baby's tummy. Baby whisked off to special care nursery and on IV antibiotics. NOTHING has shown up on skin swabs and blood tests done at birth or since. Cord cut off with midwives telling mother how dirty it was ... There are a lot of things I have not included here - the looks, the inferences, the queries about who the support people were, the obs who came in pointing at us asking our names, the sighs, the comments to the mother about 'your type' (funny eh, this couple both work...) This woman was made to feel she could not achieve normal birth, her baby was too big for her, her baby was in a bad position, her requests were unreasonable, her decisions were from poor information, her lotus birth was 'dirty' and a health hazard. She gave birth to a 7lb 5oz baby who was presenting OT. No obvious reasons for failing to get past 4 cms. I am totally disheartened at how little movement the 'normal/natural' birth movement has made in the medicalised system of childbirth in the last 22 years. The midwives who took part in the birth were active participants in the demoralisation and bullying of this woman and her partner and her attendants. They collaborated to intimidate and pressure her into various positions. There was no serving of this beautiful pregnant, labouring mother, but only the intention to make her fit into a very narrow and closed medical framework. I cannot and will not continue to support this method of childbirth in any way. I hope that most people on this list do not work in this manner, but I am also aware after being on this list for many years, that there are too many midwives in Australia who DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY DO by behaving in similar ways to the midwives I came into contact with over the last 96 hours. I care totally for the emotional state of the women I see - the c/section in this case was not a problem, but the narrow and judgemental attitude of far too many of the people involved in this birth was an enormous problem. Well this is one birth attendant who is signing off, from the fight, from the work, from the discussion. The birth scene has gone SO FAR away from normal that it is really scary. Good luck to you all and good luck to all of you who think you can make a difference. After Christmas Day I am damned sure no one person can stand alone and make a difference for others. All one person does is put herself at risk of ridicule and danger, irrespective of her heart's desire and intentions. I know I have a good heart, I work so hard for all the pregnant women and families I have served. I grieve for all the women who give birth in hospital with the type of midwives I experienced recently. No wonder our children are being born with high levels of syntocinon abuse, epidural damage leading to such increased mevels of autism and ADD etc that our Australian society is experiencing. No wonder our women have such high levels of PND. Disheartened, angry, and ashamed - the shame? Of the abuse, misinformation bullying and lack of true care our 'system' can and does give out, all in the name of midwifery and [medicalised] childbirth. Sue Cookson mother of 4 homeborn gorgeous children. -- 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.
