Title: FW: 60 Mins & Caesarean Section
Fabulous, Justine - thanks for all the work you do.
Pinky
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, June 07, 2004 10:46 PM
Subject: [ozmidwifery] FW: 60 Mins & Caesarean Section

Hi all Here’s a message to Ann and a letter to the Ed

JC
xx
------ Forwarded Message
From: Justine Caines <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Mon, 07 Jun 2004 23:45:27 +1100
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: 60 Mins & Caesarean Section

Dear Ann

I was disappointed to see your piece regarding the 60 Mins story.  I appeared on the show as the “natural birth advocate”  I am in fact the National President of Australia’s only national maternity advocacy organisation, The Maternity Coalition.  I work for 30 hours each week (unpaid) to try and improve maternity services for Australian women, with particular emphasis on enabling women to make a range of choices and to receive better support (especially in the post-natal period).

Considering you are passionate about choice you may like to assist us to to provide a full scope of choice.  Through our work and research available we know that the majority of Australian women would choose to be cared for by a known midwife if this care was funded.  One to one midwifery care is recognised by the World Health Organisation as the most appropriate and cost effective care for normal pregnancies (around 80%).
In New Zealand women have been able to choose either a midwife, GP or Obstetrician for over 10 years.  Before the choice was available 14% of NZ women chose a midwife, now 70% of women do.

In Australia 0.2% of women can chose to be cared for by a known midwife.

I would be happy to talk with you about this further, and hope you can assist Australian women to make the best choice for them.  Below is a copy of a letter to the Editor.

Kind regards
Justine

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Justine Caines
National President  Maternity Coalition Inc
PO Box 105
MERRIWA  NSW  2329
Ph: (02) 65482248
Fax: (02)65482902
Mob: 0408 210273
E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]







Ann Peacocks piece praising the 60 Minutes on caesarean section birth sadly missed the point.

I appeared on 60 Minutes as the ‘natural birth advocate’ I am in fact the National President of Australia’s only national maternity advocacy organisation, The Maternity Coalition.

60 Minutes approached with a story of the little known risks of caesarean section, that of emergency hysterectomies after caesarean section.  Although they were aware of the information 60 Minutes  did not reveal that in Victoria there has been a 140% increase in the last 3 reported years (20 in 1999 to 48 in 2002) of emergency hysterectomy following caesarean section.  On March 29 the Age reported

“Professor King, who chairs the committee that gathers data on childbirth in Victoria, said he believed that caesarean section should be advised against where there was no medical reason for the surgery.”

Women should have choices in childbirth.  Our organisation has committed Mother’s across the country working voluntarily to improve maternity services as they raise their own children.  Anne reporting your own experience does nothing to provide women with facts or enable them to make informed choices about such an important life event.

Compared with normal vaginal birth caesarean section increases the chance of the mother dying by up to 6 times, many babies born by c/s require admission to intensive care (due to respiratory distress as their lungs are not stimulated by the birth process), in around 10% of cases babies are cut in the process.  And after all that the rate of urinary incontinence is similar for women who have had natural births and caesarean section.  In fact a study actually found religious Nuns who had never borne children similarly suffered incontinence .  Women deserve to know  the facts before they choose.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Justine Caines
National President  Maternity Coalition Inc
PO Box 105
MERRIWA  NSW  2329
Ph: (02) 65482248
Fax: (02)65482902
Mob: 0408 210273
E-Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]


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