Hi Jen, I am just concerned that this becomes another 'them and us' amongst midwives. I am an RN trained midwife, though would have done three year B mid if it had been available. I am also a home birth mother and I feel there is an expectation that RN trained midwives somehow do not carry the same philosophies of normal birth. The university I trained at for my mid was passionately non-interventionist, and I have to say the theory-practice gap was huge for us too, all interventionist practice being experienced on placement.
As Trish, quoting Nicky, so eloquently said, "a midwife is a midwife is a midwife". All of the amazing independent midwives that I have met, worked with, workshopped with were mostly all trained in Australia in the last 30 or so years. Which means they were nurses first. The most vocal of our university lecturers who have pushed for B Mid fall into the same category. I can see what you are saying Jen, and yes, I would have preferred to have had the midwifery training that you have had, but I don't find it any more difficult, I shouldn't think, to be comfortable with non-interventionist, natural birth. It is a deep part of my being, and I am just as passionate about it as those lucky enough to have done a three year B-Mid degree. I think we need to be wary about the systemic horizontal violence that occurs in midwifery, as in other oppressed groups (i.e. mid has been historically oppressed in this country both by the medical and the nursing professions), and we need to work together to change the system of maternity care in this country no matter where of how we trained, if we are passionate about this. That is precisely why the three year B mid is so vital, and political, because it forms part of an historical change for the autonomy of midwifery. Good luck with finishing your course, Liz. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jen Semple" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, October 09, 2004 6:31 PM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Students, training and other things was Re: uterine rupture 1998 > Hi Liz, > > I was responding to someone else's posts that they had > spoken to mid students who felt that they were not > being taught about intervention-free birth. I was > saying that I have been taught & do feel confident (as > a beginning practitioner!) with intervention-free > birth after 3 years at uni & the requirement to be the > primary accoucher for 40 non-instrumental births. > Since grad dip midwives have 12 months @ uni are are > required to primary accoucher 20 births, I wonder if > it is more difficult to feel confident w/ > intervention-free birth w/ this training. > > I'm not at all saying good or bad, them or us. Just > wondering out loud. I definitely don't think that I'd > feel as confident after only 12 months, but maybe if I > had done general nursing first I would. > > Hope that makes sense. > > Jen > 3rd year BMid, Melbourne > > --- Liz Newnham <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hi Jen, > > I was curious to ask what you meant by "I wonder if > > it is more difficult for them". Wonder if what is > > more difficult? > > Liz > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Jen Semple > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Tuesday, October 05, 2004 11:00 AM > > Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Students, training and > > other things was Re: uterine rupture 1998 > > > > > > As a current Bachelor of Midwifery (aka direct > > entry)student, I can tell you a little bit about my > > course. > > > > I think everybody here agrees that there is no > > such thing as the perfect woman, the perfect > > midwife, or the perfect midwifery course. That > > said, I can promise you all that we have learnt > > about working in partnersip with women, what is > > normal birth, and how the role of the midwife > > changes from autonomous practitioner to "member of > > the team" once labour is augmented. > > > > One of the things that we struggle with most is > > the "theory-practice gap"... the evidence & what we > > are being taught at uni & then the lack of > > opportunity to practice in that way at present (ie > > we get taught about hands off or hands poised & most > > of us have yet to be supervised by a midwife with a > > birthing woman who doesn't firmly enourage us to > > keep a hand on the head &/or peri). Also > > caseload... to meet the ACMI standard, we have all > > completed (or are about to complete) 30 follow > > throughs. For many of us, that would be our > > preferred model of practice next year & at present, > > there is not one hospital in metropolitan Melbourne > > where we could pratice in that model. > > > > I'm not saying that all is perfect at my uni (& > > can't speak for all unis), but I am certain that my > > lecturers are knowledgable of what is normal & > > passionate how to keep things that way. > > > > The ACMI requirement is that we are the primary > > accouchuer (aka catching or delivering the baby) for > > 40 non-instrumental births. This is a lot of > > births! Many are struggling to attain this figure & > > many have done so in less than ideal circumstances. > > It is argued that this number should be reduced or > > that students should be able to "count" births that > > became instrumental, but the student remained the > > woman's midwife. > > > > While the midwife's role in an instrumental birth, > > augmented labour, etc is just as important as in a > > "normal" labour or birth, it is very different. > > The midwife is no longer the autunomous practitioner > > & the student is no longer gaining experience with > > "normalcy". > > > > Abby, I think the high standards that ACMI has set > > for us help ensure that we do know normal. Granted, > > this is still the hospital setting, but until > > community midwifery is more widely available to > > women & midwives, the reality is that the majority > > of student midwives cannot gain experience in this > > setting. > > > > I cannot speak for the education of Graduate > > Diploma midwives (who are already nurses)... as > > their midwifery program is only 12 months (& their > > requirement is 20 births), I wonder if it is more > > difficult for them? > > > > Anyway, I hope my current perspective as a student > > is helpful. > > > > Jen > > 3rd year BMid, Melbourne > > > > > > > > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- > > Find local movie times and trailers on Yahoo! > > Movies. > > > > Find local movie times and trailers on Yahoo! Movies. > http://au.movies.yahoo.com > -- > 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.
