Re: [ozmidwifery] 3rd degree tears

[Janet Fraser]

Sue this stuff really scares me. I don't know what business a nurse in an incontinence clinic has recommending major abdominal surgery, with it's attendant risks which are far greater than vaginal birth. If I were the nurse, I'd be saying, "Have you thought about having a home birth? Those women give birth over intact perineums, most of them even if they've previously had a tear." And that actually does have genuine evidence to back it up! Why those stats don't lead to a reassessment of forceps, ventouse, episiotomy, woman stuck on their backs, coached pushing etc beats me. But no, it gets blamed on our defective bodies. Self fulfilling prophecy.   The statistics in Vic for 2003 were that 8% of women in hospitals/BCs had intact perineums and 98.7% of home birthing women had intact peris. So do hospy birthing mamas have dodgy peris? Or do their careproviders need to improve their standards?   I think she needs educating, desparately! So tragic!   J