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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16475243%255E2702,00.html
Birthing centres 'empower
mothers' DOMINIQUE Alexander felt
that only a midwife, not an obstetrician, would allow her to have any say in
the way she gave birth. "The
midwives listen to you. I wanted to have a natural childbirth without any pain
relief," Mrs Alexander said. "In the
birthing centre, the midwives know that you want to have a natural birth so
they prepare you and talk about different natural pain management, and I think
they have a lot more faith in you, whereas I think obstetricians encourage you
to have pain relief." Mrs Alexander
disputes claims this week by the National Association of Specialist
Obstetricians and Gynaecologists that babies born in home-like settings, such
as midwife-run centres, have an 85per cent higher risk of death around the time
of childbirth.
Association
secretary Andrew Pesce said studies that midwives used to back up their safety
records were scientifically inferior. But Mrs
Alexander said she felt completely safe giving birth without an obstetrician
present. She was in
labour for 16 hours with her first daughter and for five hours with her second,
and did not use any medication during either birth. "I had no
problems and I was home the next day," she said. "I would
really disagree that birthing centres are more risky, and I don't believe that
statistic. "If you
have a low-risk pregnancy, then why should you clog up the hospital system when
you can use a birthing centre? "I would
have no hesitation going to a birthing centre again." Mrs Alexander
said she had experienced no serious complications, other than some minor
bleeding during her second pregnancy. A midwife had
explained that if she developed any problems she would be transferred from the
birthing unit to the hospital. "If I had
given birth more than two weeks early, or more than three weeks late, they
would have induced me and I couldn't have had the girls in the birthing centre.
"That was
all explained to me well in advance." She said
hospitals could intimidate women, making them nervous about their ability to
give birth. "I think the birthing centre
empowers women to give birth and allows them to feel confident and to know that
we can do it, whereas in the hospital they talk about so many risks that they
take the power away from you." | |||||||||||||||
