Re: [ozmidwifery] Triumphant birth for Caroline (Cas) McCullough!!

[Marilyn Kleidon]

fantastic news, congratulations to Cas and her baby, Wayne and Lynne and
Vicki.

much love
marilyn
- Original Message - 
From: "Jodie Miller" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: 
Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2005 2:21 PM
Subject: [ozmidwifery] Triumphant birth for Caroline (Cas) McCullough!!


This is a quick note to all Cas's friends in birth reform. At 5.45 this am,
Adam Samuel McCullough was roared into this world with the love and
perseverence of mum Caroline and dad Wayne at Selangor Private Hospital near
Maleny (Qld) with midwives Lynne and Vicki.

After a lng pregnancy and a lng pre-labour he only took a rapid 5
hours (or so) to greet his parents. Naturally Cas and Wayne are ecstatic to
have achieved a totally natural vaginal birth after two prior caesareans!!
Please send your congratulations and support to:

<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

Please feel free to pass on the news!
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Re: [ozmidwifery] Birth Centre

[Andrea Robertson]

Hi Di,
Have to hoe in on this one. I have been very concerned about the 
"definition" of a Birth Centre for some time. In the UK, where I do tend to 
get about a bit each year, many hospitals are suddenly sporting "Birth 
Centres".  For example, I have a glossy brochure from the Birth Centre at 
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London (very up market, famous and 
fashionable) where they proudly state that at their Birth Centre you can 
"have everything except and epidural".  In practice this means you could be 
induced, have pethidine, certainly Entonox (nitrous oxide) and even 
electronic monitoring in their birth centre.  There are water births there 
of course, and it claims to be midwifery led care, but it makes you wonder.

At Guys and St Thomas' Hospital (the home of Florence Nightingale) in 
London, the "Birth Centre' sign outside the main lift actually leads to the 
regular labour ward and it is the "Home from Home Unit" that  tries to 
approximate the homelike atmosphere usually associated with birth centres 
(as long as you like wall to wall bright blue paint). Kings College 
Hospital in London has done the same thing - a real con for women who think 
they are going to a "birth centre" and then find they are having all the 
usual obstetric care found in big city teaching establishments. In the UK 
all the birth centres I have heard of offer drugs in labour and other 
invasive management techniques such as mandatory 15 minutely checks of the 
fetal heartrate during  first stage and after every contraction in 2nd 
stage (although a NICE guideline, there is no evidence that supports this 
doctrine).

To my mind, a "birth centre" is run by a select team of midwives (not 
midwives who are allocated on a needs basis from the regular labour ward) 
and the aim is to promote midwifery and natural birth.  That means no 
drugs, monitors, drips or interventions. If a problem develops, the woman 
is transferred to labour ward where she can get the necessary and 
appropriate help. Water and other non pharmacological comfort aids are 
encouraged and a family atmosphere prevails, with the woman free to bring 
whomever she likes to the centre with her. Siblings as well, if desired.

This was how the original birth centres operated when they opened in the 
early 80s. The concept seems to have become diluted over the years, which I 
think is a shame, for the women and for the midwives. A birth centre offers 
a midwife the chance to gain confidence in natural labour and birth, which 
will give her skills she may then decide to use in home settings.

These days, midwives are under such pressure from management 
(euphemistically called "risk management") that they feel obliged to carry 
out unnecessary observations and apply rigid criteria over every aspect of 
the admission to the program and the following care that they can hardly 
operate as autonomous practitioners. I remember well that the first birth 
centre at Crown Street was established as a means of stamping out home 
births, the thinking being that women would come to a nice cosy birth 
centre in a hospital if it was pretty enough and not "risk" a  home birth. 
They were wrong of course!

There is the argument that hospitals should be seen as "birth centres" 
because that is where babies are born and I can accept that as a valid 
argument. However, the birth reform movement created this term "birth 
centre" (an American idea) as a means of delineating midwifery care and 
natural birth from the standard hospital approach. I fear we are losing 
sight of these original goals.

Sorry about the rave. I have written about this before, especially in Diary 
entries, but it keeps cropping up. I will be interested to see what others 
feed back to the discussion.

Andrea
At 12:05 AM 15/01/2005, you wrote:
Ok, ive outed myself now,
I have been lurking on this list, drawing upon the wisdom of all you 
beautiful, passionate women, for some time now and I finally have a question.
What is the accepted Australian definition of a "Birth Centre"? Is there one?
Our midwifery led, low risk unit offers team midwifery and hopefully soon, 
caseload care. Our brand new unit is linked closely to the maternity ward 
where we have only postnatal care.
We have obstetricians available on call, and they have the ability to 
perform an emergency c/s if needed.
We would love to call our new unit, with it's big baths in all three 
birthing rooms, a birth centre as this would help to demedicalise the 
concept and help us bring our midwifery services to the local women and 
the community.
Any thoughts?

Di.

-
Andrea Robertson
Birth International * ACE Graphics * Associates in Childbirth Education
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
web: www.birthinternational.com
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[ozmidwifery] Camden Rally

[Barry & Sonja]

Dear all
Just to let you know that there was an excellent 
rally in Camden today to save our maternity unit.  Over 300 people attended 
with hopefully fantastic media coverage.  It is amazing how many mothers 
and babies and pregnant women will march in over 35 degree heat.  Look for 
us on the tele and the Sunday papers.  We also hope to have a bigger and 
better one in a months time if our demands to keep the unit open are not 
met.
Sonja

Re: [ozmidwifery] Birth Centre

[Denise Hynd]

I worked in one (for a brief time) which was 
more obstetricly oriented than many obstetric units I had previously worked 
in
Denise Hynd
 
"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."
 
— Linda Hes

  - Original Message - 
  From: 
  Dean 
  & Jo 
  To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au 
  
  Sent: Saturday, January 15, 2005 7:54 
  AM
  Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] Birth 
  Centre
  
  
  I have heard of a few 
  birth centres, that call themselves birth centres, 
  that are FAR from what I as a consumer would consider a birth 
  centre!
  I have had one birth 
  centre midwife ask me why I bother having a VBAC…”why not just have another cs…much easier!”  hmmm…birth 
  centre philosophy bursting thru there!!
   
   
  -Original 
  Message-From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] 
  [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of dianeSent: Friday, January 14, 2005 11:35 
  PMTo: 
  ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.auSubject: [ozmidwifery] Birth 
  Centre
   
  
  Ok, ive outed myself 
  now,
  
  I have been lurking on this list, 
  drawing upon the wisdom of all you beautiful, passionate women, for some time 
  now and I finally have a question.
  
  What is the accepted Australian 
  definition of a "Birth Centre"? Is there 
  one?
  
  Our midwifery led, low risk unit 
  offers team midwifery and hopefully soon, caseload care. Our brand new unit is 
  linked closely to the maternity ward where we have only postnatal care. 
  
  
  We have obstetricians available on 
  call, and they have the ability to perform an emergency c/s if 
  needed.
  
  We would love to call our new 
  unit, with it's big baths in all three birthing rooms, a birth centre as this 
  would help to demedicalise the concept and help us bring our midwifery 
  services to the local women and the 
  community.
  
  Any 
  thoughts?
  
   
  
  Di.
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RE: [ozmidwifery] Birth Centre

[Dean & Jo]

I have heard of a few birth centres, that
call themselves birth centres, that are FAR from what
I as a consumer would consider a birth centre!

I have had one birth centre midwife ask me
why I bother having a VBAC…”why not just have another
cs…much easier!”  hmmm…birth centre philosophy bursting thru there!!

 

 

-Original Message-
From:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf Of diane
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2005
11:35 PM
To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
Subject: [ozmidwifery] Birth
Centre

 



Ok, ive outed myself now,





I have been lurking on this list,
drawing upon the wisdom of all you beautiful, passionate women, for some time
now and I finally have a question.





What is the accepted Australian
definition of a "Birth Centre"? Is there one?





Our midwifery led, low risk unit
offers team midwifery and hopefully soon, caseload care. Our brand new unit is
linked closely to the maternity ward where we have only postnatal care. 





We have obstetricians available on
call, and they have the ability to perform an emergency c/s if needed.





We would love to call our new unit,
with it's big baths in all three birthing rooms, a birth centre as this would
help to demedicalise the concept and help us bring our midwifery services to
the local women and the community.





Any thoughts?





 





Di.










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RE: [ozmidwifery] Waterbirth Policy

[Sally Westbury]

Email address. [EMAIL PROTECTED]

 

Thanks wendy

 

Sally Westbury

Homebirth Midwife

 

"It takes courage to remain a true advocate for women, challenging
authority and sacrificing social and professional acceptance. It takes courage
for a woman to choose a caregiver who will truly advocate for and empower
her."    -Judy Slome Cohain

 

Re: [ozmidwifery] Triumphant birth for Caroline (Cas) McCullough!!

[Jan Robinson]

Good on YOU Cas and Wayne and midwives all.
There'll be more evidence to roar about now and one more little voice to join the chorus in the fight for womens' choice.
See you at some rally somewhere
Jan 
Jan Robinson Independent Midwife Practitioner
National Coordinator  Australian Society of Independent Midwives
8 Robin Crescent   South Hurstville   NSW   2221 Phone/Fax: 02 9546 4350
e-mail address: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>  website: www.midwiferyeducation.com.au
On 14 Jan, 2005, at 09:21, Jodie Miller wrote:

This is a quick note to all Cas's friends in birth reform.  At 5.45 this am, 
Adam Samuel McCullough was roared into this world with the love and 
perseverence of mum Caroline and dad Wayne at Selangor Private Hospital near 
Maleny (Qld) with midwives Lynne and Vicki.  

After a lng pregnancy and a lng pre-labour he only took a rapid 5 
hours (or so) to greet his parents.  Naturally Cas and Wayne are ecstatic to 
have achieved a totally natural vaginal birth after two prior caesareans!!  
Please send your congratulations and support to:

<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

Please feel free to pass on the news!
--
This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics.
Visit  to subscribe or unsubscribe.

[ozmidwifery] Birth Centre

[diane]

Ok, ive outed myself now,
I have been lurking on this list, drawing upon the 
wisdom of all you beautiful, passionate women, for some time now and I finally 
have a question.
What is the accepted Australian definition of a 
"Birth Centre"? Is there one?
Our midwifery led, low risk unit offers team 
midwifery and hopefully soon, caseload care. Our brand new unit is linked 
closely to the maternity ward where we have only postnatal care. 
We have obstetricians available on call, and they 
have the ability to perform an emergency c/s if needed.
We would love to call our new unit, with it's big 
baths in all three birthing rooms, a birth centre as this would help to 
demedicalise the concept and help us bring our midwifery services to the local 
women and the community.
Any thoughts?
 
Di.

Re: Spam Alert: [ozmidwifery] Waterbirth Policy

[diane]

I would love a copy of waterbirth policies 
too.
Thanks,
 
Di (a long time lurker!)
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

  - Original Message - 
  From: 
  Sally Westbury 
  To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au 
  
  Sent: Thursday, January 13, 2005 5:46 
  PM
  Subject: Spam Alert: [ozmidwifery] 
  Waterbirth Policy
  
  
  Can people share 
  their waterbirth policy from their units please.
   
  Sally 
  Westbury
  Homebirth 
  Midwife
   
  "It 
  takes courage to remain a true advocate for women, challenging authority and 
  sacrificing social and professional acceptance. It takes courage for a woman 
  to choose a caregiver who will truly advocate for and empower 
  her."    -Judy Slome Cohain
   

RE: [ozmidwifery] Waterbirth Policy

[Wendy Taberer]

Hi Sally, if you give me your e-mail
address I will forward you details of our waterbirth policy along with
references

Wendy

 









From:
owner-ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
[mailto:owner-ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au]
On Behalf Of Sally Westbury
Sent: 13 January 2005 06:47
To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
Subject: [ozmidwifery] Waterbirth
Policy



 

Can people share their
waterbirth policy from their units please.

 

Sally Westbury

Homebirth
Midwife

 

"It
takes courage to remain a true advocate for women, challenging authority and
sacrificing social and professional acceptance. It takes courage for a woman to
choose a caregiver who will truly advocate for and empower
her."    -Judy Slome Cohain

 



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