Re: [ozmidwifery] Touching babes at birth......

[Lois Wattis]

Well said, Tina.  I have had the same experiences as you describe.  Occasionally I've encountered a woman who just does not want to feel her baby's head when encouraged to "find" it there.  Many women kind of need 'permission' to do what they perceive to be the midwife's job at the moment of birth.  This can be discussed before the birth, or during the labour, and with preparation their response is spontaneous.  It can also be the Dad that catches the baby, and that is a special bonding event as well.  Love Lois        ----- Original Message ----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Sunday, February 09, 2003 9:00 AM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Touching babes at birth...... In a message dated 9/02/03 9:57:29 AM AUS Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: how many women are willing to touch their baby during the process of birth and immediately at the moment of birthing??? i can see that with much pre education this may be possible. However if it is to happen the way you idealistically suggest then perhaps one criteria for  in  water birthing will need to be that  women are fully educated willing and cooperative in  handling her baby  at the moment of birth. we do have to be careful in the asumptions we make about how women may feel and be able to respond at the various stages of birthing. Ruth Hello Ruth and all just as dangerous is the assumption that women are not interested in touching their babies during birth and to suggest that women need "education" to handle their babes at birth....Mmmmm......Encouraging the woman to touch her baby is a very powerful way of connecting her to the birth process and gives her purpose often when energies are waning ....for me its about giving the power to the woman to tell me what's going on for her without the midwife having to be invasive...eg: sticking my fingers in...or parting labia....watching perineum's etc...If I feel the need to 'know what's going on' all I often do is just gently ask the woman to tell me what she is feeling...If she has no words to describe it, or says "I don't know"...then I gently encourage her to put her own fingers inside and tell me what she feels. In my experience women rarely refuse to do this when invited to do so and personally I think its how we ask and the context in which we ask it .........I have no words to describe the sheer look of amazement and wonder when the woman declares she can feel their babies head just inside.....the power, renewed energy and a strong sense of purpose that this gives women is fantastic....and birth usually follows very quickly....touch can be really important to if at crowning the women needs some reassurance that all is fine and she is not "splitting apart"....encouraging her to feel for herself that she is safe again is very reaffirming for her and she often then lets go and the babe emerges beautifully....often into her own hand if she desires....this is when women are truly empowered in birth.....and this empowers us as midwives too!!!!!!!! Yours in reforming midwifery Tina Pettigrew B Mid Student Australian Catholic University Melb.