"Let us support one another, not just in philosophy but in action, for the
sake of freedom for all women to choose exactly how and by whom, if by anyone,
our bodies will be handled."
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, September 30, 2005 11:09
AM
Subject: [ozmidwifery] FW: Making a
difference
Another letter to Ms Devine.
Dear Ms Devine,
I
find it hard to write to you in fear of being branded with some derogatory
label. No one seems to be aware that there are many obstetricians that
support this move towards evidenced based practice i.e., midwifery-led primary
health care in normal childbirth. Would these doctors
be labelled as 'natural childbirth zealots'? It appears you trust most
the advise given by medical practitioners - perhaps you could make a few
phone calls and speak to the doctors that support birth centres and midwifery
models of care across Australia and see if their views differ from those
of Dr Mourik. I encourage you to do this because it may help you to add
some balance, not to mention depth, to the debate so far. As it
stands readers have a picture of a 'band' (small group) of midwifery
'zealots' or 'nutters', who are irrationally anti-doctor intent on leading the
NSW Government and women astray. The NSW government is portrayed
as inherently evil or stupid or both because they are blinded to issues
of women's and babies' safety by the promise of cost savings.
Meanwhile we are actively encouraged to
believe that the medical practitioners always
provides safe and satisfying care to childbearing women. And it is without
question that obstetricians are purely interested in women's safety and
have absolutely no self-serving interest in this debate. The
overall paternalistic message here is that...'It is for their own good that
women be stopped from accessing the independent care of inadequately-trained
midwives and be offered only those skills provided by the
superiorly-trained obstetricians'. The irony that the 21st
century message is the same as the one used by doctors in the
18-19th century to wrest away childbirth care from midwives, is not
lost on many debate observers. It also seems we wasted the 1960's
in trying to stop female stereotyping - I, for one, still believe women
are capable of making intelligent choices.
Ms Devine thus far don't you think this debate
is a little too simplistic and superficial - even by journalistic standards?
Your eagerness to report the derogatory adjectives used to describe
midwives in contrast to the paucity used in reference to doctors leads me
to wonder if this is an exercise in midwife-bashing?
I
am hoping that you can do better than this.
Regards,
Ms
Jacqueline Doolan
Senior Lecturer
(Midwifery)
University of Southern
Queensland
Phone: 07 4631 1644
E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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