Re: [ozmidwifery] Consumer demand for inductions and caesareans

[Janet Fraser]

David this is an article off the JB website which talks very powerfully about some of these issues. Enjoy! J http://www.joyousbirth.info/articles/personal-political.html ----- Original Message ----- From: Great Birth & Men at Birth To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Sent: Monday, June 19, 2006 10:28 PM Subject: [ozmidwifery] Consumer demand for inductions and caesareans This is a very interesting area of debate.  The thing that strikes me about obstetrics is that it seems to be one of the few areas of medical 'science' (other than plastic surgery) where the woman is allowed to 'choose' a particular procedure, and in most cases the taxpayer will foot the bill.   Is it ethical for obstetricians to do caesareans because women 'demand them'?  Is it ethical to provide inductions because they are 'demanded?'.  I cannot demand morphine from the medical system because it makes me feel good, and yet our system allows women to demand certain obstetric procedures because they think it is good for them... We need to respect women's requests and expectations, but are their requests and expectations absolute? I'm not a midwife and I thankfully don't have to struggle with these daily dilemmas.  But consumers aren't always right and they certainly aren't always wrong. What test can be used to determine whether a request is met or not? David _____________________________________________________________________ David Vernon, Editor and Writer Having a Great Birth in Australia, Men at Birth,  With Women - Shiftwork to Group Practice and The Hunt for Marasmus GPO Box 2314, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia Em: Click here to email me My other websites: Beryl's Hansard | A Busy Dad's Guide to Cooking | Kitty & Maus  _____________________________________________________________________ On 19/06/2006, at 9:10 PM, Alesa Koziol wrote: Women aren't doing their own Inductions and Caesareans... Very true, but they are all too frequently choosing them   Alesa Alesa Koziol Clinical Midwifery Educator Melbourne ----- Original Message ----- From: Stephen & Felicity To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Sent: Sunday, June 18, 2006 5:36 PM Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] How long before synto is used? Interesting, Megan.  The thing that is alarming to me in this scenario is not the possible cash motivation, but the fact that "scheduling" and "delaying" birth is considered to be something we as human beings have a right to do as a normal part of our birthing processes.  Also the "tsk tsk for shame" in this article seems to be solely directed at the birthing women, and not the professionals willing to intervene in the birth process to suit a timetable.  Women aren't doing their own Inductions and Caesareans.   ----- Original Message ----- From: Megan & Larry To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au Sent: Sunday, June 18, 2006 3:31 PM Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] How long before synto is used? We talk about choices, but look what we will do for free cash ???   Megan (whose 4th was born on his timing 2 weeks before the magic date)   Baby bonus creates hospital havoc 18jun06 THE introduction of the baby bonus on July 1, 2004, caused more than 1000 scheduled births to be delayed, a new study shows. In its May 2004 Budget, the Federal Government announced a maternity payment – $3,000 for every baby born on or after July 1. Research by Melbourne Business School economist Professor Joshua Gans and Australian National University economist Dr Andrew Leigh has shown there were more births on July 1, 2004, than on any other single date in the past 30 years. "We estimate that around 700 births were shifted from the last week of June 2004 into the first week of July 2004," Dr Leigh said. "But more troublingly, we found that around 300 births were moved by more than two weeks." The researchers also found that the share of births that were induced or delivered by caesarean section was high in July 2004. Dr Leigh said hospitals needed to plan for July 1 this year, when the bonus rises from $3,000 to $4,000. "Maternity hospitals should expect fewer babies in the last week of June and more in the first week of July," Dr Leigh said.