like zombies gone down the conveyer belt into the hospital > > closest to > > them (cause it has really nice decor...don't laugh I said the same > > thing with my first!), have gone into the mainstream clinics, and > > will be attending the child birth classes offered by the hospital. I
> > have given tem Choices in Childbirth phone numbers, sent tem information > > about the workshops they do, sent them MC stuff, sent them stuff on > > the realities of cs I our society and so on....but blindly they > > still walk > away. I'm a Childbirth Educator in Adelaide. I've recently returned from the UK (Husband's work) where I trained through the National Childbirth Trust. I facilitate classes for 1st time couples which covers late pregnancy, labour, birth and early parenthood. I extended my studies to include Infant Massage as well so that it could be an extension of the classes after all the babies were born to keep the group meeting. I tried to throw myself into it when I returned but found little interest. It's a shame when I would love to give these couples information to enable them to go into labour with clear ideas of what THEY want for the birth of their child. I haven't given up! Sylvia Boutsalis Adelaide -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Honey Acharya Sent: Sunday, 8 August 2004 8:58 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Cheap community-based childbirth ed. I hope you don't mind me jumping in on this conversation. You wrote "Does anyone run "Birthing from Within" classes anywhere in Australia? These > classes feinetly have a structure but they also are designed from a "women's > way knowing" perspective trying to draw out, expose if you will the woman's > intuitive self." Birthing Rites Australia in Bondi Junction Sydney runs fantastic childbirth education classes, much more focused on learning to trust yourself and your body. Looking at the Feeling and emotional side to birth not just the physical. They are not Birthing from Within structured but they have their own special style as taught by Marie Burrows. They also have a wonderful Postnatal group that meets on Fridays, you can attend while pregnant also and learn lots of interesting info about breastfeeding, postnatal depression, parenting, connecting with other women etc I think it is a donation of $5 or $10 which includes morning tea. I love Birthing From Within and have recently read it twice, should be on the recommended reading list for all Pregnant women. My experience is the majority of women/couples will still attend the hospital classes even if they go to something independent. I am in Townsville and the best informal pregnancy learning we have is the Prenatal Yoga run by Karen Shlegeris a childbirth educator. She teaches lots of really useful stuff in amongst the yoga. (I went to a Prenatal Yoga class in Sydney recently and it was just about the yoga, very disappointing really.) Women here also come back to tell their stories and lots of networking between women happens and many friendships are made. We have also set up a Healing Birth debriefing support group (which includes VBAC support) and another woman and I have just started working as Doulas (birth support people). We have 1 Public and 2 private hospitals here and no independent midwives. The c-sec rates are approx 25%, 40% and 60% and we hear many horror stories and talk to many traumatised parents (some in the extreme who won't have any more children because of their experiences in childbirth-maybe the politicians should think more about choices in childbirth when they are promoting and trying to increase the birth rates in Australia). Sorry I don't have any other figures of other medical interventions and these rates were told to me by the midwives from these hospitals so they are not official stats but they give you an idea. There are an increasing number of women in Townsville choosing unattended homebirths (most would employ a midwife if that was an option). Or some are flying to Brisbane or Sydney as I did to have homebirths or birth at birth centres. I didn't mean to write all of that but as you all know when you're passionate about something once you start its hard to stop. Honey Acharya Birth Buddies ----- Original Message ----- From: "Marilyn Kleidon" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Monday, August 09, 2004 9:47 AM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Cheap community-based childbirth ed. > Does anyone run "Birthing from Within" classes anywhere in Australia? These > classes feinetly have a structure but they also are designed from a "women's > way knowing" perspective trying to draw out, expose if you will the > woan's intuitive self. Despite being written from an American > perspective, the author Pam England, lives in apart of the country > with a strong birthing tradition : New Mexico. Anyway, I do think it > is a great book and of course > as most people (here too) who have a successful message, Pam has > marketed this method of CBE, so if you use her stuff you have to be > careful how...copyright etc.. > > marilyn > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dean & Jo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Saturday, August 07, 2004 7:08 PM > Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Cheap community-based childbirth ed. > > > > Jodie said: > > My point is, we don't necessarily need formal childbirth education > "classes" > > or "teachers" in order to disseminate helpful, good quality, up to > > date information to birthing women. Anyone can learn to facilitate > > a group discussion, check facts and details and report back, network > > new mums and > > mums-to-be, etc. If a formal association is formed the group can > > then be > > entitled to grants for resources (eg, a reference library, teaching aids, > > etc). Anyone with a particular interest can start a support group. > > > > I agree Jodie that we learn best in an informal setting...however if > > you > ask > > a first time 'standard issue' mum they would prefer the formal set > > up. I > > think it is derived from the masculine world we live in where there > > is structure, order and the idea that formal is superior. (Gee I > > wished I had > > done feminism at uni as I am sure there would be a term for what I > > am > trying > > to describe). > > I think it is only when we become mothers that the benefits of the > informal > > education we get from around the coffee table from peers, friends > > etc. > > > > I have two VERY good friends who are pregnant in Vic at the moment, > > both have been my friends since high school -they have witnessed my > > growth and > > interest in child birth heard all my rants seen what I do and yet > > they > have > > still like zombies gone down the conveyer belt into the hospital > > closest > to > > them (cause it has really nice decor...don't laugh I said the same > > thing with my first!), have gone into the mainstream clinics, and > > will be attending the child birth classes offered by the hospital. I > > have given tem Choices in Childbirth phone numbers, sent tem information > > about the workshops they do, sent them MC stuff, sent them stuff on > > the realities of cs I our society and so on....but blindly they > > still walk > away. > > > > the classes I thought that might be a good idea would be 'packaged' > > as formal -no cost- with supper provided perhaps a personality or an > > offer or > > SOMETHING!!! to get them in and them structure it in the less > > formal gathering of knowledge thru broad experiences and so on.... > > then a little blue faerie will float down and wave a wand and my > > dishes > will > > be clean the ironing done and the back yard tidy! > > lol > > Jo > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Jodie Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Sunday, August 08, 2004 7:27 AM > > Subject: [ozmidwifery] Cheap community-based childbirth ed. > > > > > > > In light of Jo and Abby's (public ;) discussion on doula-ing and > > > lack of > > > community access to cheap, quality childbirth education I thought > > > it > might > > be > > > helpful to find out what affordable childbirth ed occurs in > > > others' communities. Not all of us have the time and money to get > > > the proper qualifications to "teach" childbirth ed, however there > > > are a few local > > (ie, > > > Brisbane) options that are both cheap and impartial and probably > > > quite > > easy > > > to get off the ground in some form or other. I thought I would > > > share so > > that > > > others with ideas might learn, or share what is available in their > > > own region. Here, we're fortunate to have Active Birth Yoga with > > > Jane Campbell-Kaye > > who > > > trained with Janet Balaskas in the UK. While yoga is fantastic > > > for body-awareness in pregnancy, half the class time is dedicated > > > to > > discussing > > > pregnancy, birth and babies. The instructor shares a lot of information > > but > > > does not generally "teach" and women tend to network and find > > > friends > > through > > > the group. I'm not sure of the cost but it couldn't be more than > > > $15 > per > > > class. (?) > > > > > > The other, even cheaper option is the Home Midwifery Assoc support > group. > > For > > > a gold coin donation women can join the discussion and learn from > > > the > > wisdom > > > others bring to the circle. More and more non-homebirthers are > > > taking > > this > > > option and getting pregnancy support, finding a doula or midwife > > > or just > > > gathering information with a local flavour. > > > > > > Friends of the Birth Centre have tried to get a peer-skills > > > program > (like > > HMA) > > > off the ground with little success so far - although it's a new project > so > > > we'll keep trying. We hope to expand our post-natal morning teas > > > to > > include > > > prenatal women and enhance the potential benefits of > > > telling/hearing > other > > > women's stories. > > > > > > My point is, we don't necessarily need formal childbirth education > > "classes" > > > or "teachers" in order to disseminate helpful, good quality, up to date > > > information to birthing women. Anyone can learn to facilitate a > > > group discussion, check facts and details and report back, network > > > new mums > and > > > mums-to-be, etc. If a formal association is formed the group can > > > then > be > > > entitled to grants for resources (eg, a reference library, > > > teaching > aids, > > > etc). Anyone with a particular interest can start a support > > > group. > > > > > > "Peer-skills" was developed through Kids Help Line. > > > Some PDF fact sheets are available here: > > > http://www.peerskills.com.au/infosheets2.html > > > > > > Jodie > > > -- > > > 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. > > > > > -- > 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. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
