[ozmidwifery] full moon

[Kerreen Reiger]

Hi all
Does any one have information on actual studies of the effect of the full moon 
on  birth? I've heard anecdotally  that more babies arrive then etc, and 
searched google which produced snippets relating to the tides. Any other 
comments from you  wise people? 
(I am in New York with my  daughter awaiting a baby taking its time to arrive 
and the full moon is tomorrow! She's booked with  a midwife at a birth centre 
and hopes not to be induced at the end of the week!)
cheers
Kerreen
 
 

 
<>

RE: [ozmidwifery] Re: Pain relief resources

[Kerreen Reiger]

Hello Gloria
It's great to have more international contributions to  the  Australian
discussions and especially on women's perceptions. 

Could you please contact me off list as I am about to come to Vancouver
in  mid-June and would like to meet up and learn of consumer groups
there, 
Kerreen Reiger- [EMAIL PROTECTED] 

-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of G Lemay
Sent: Wednesday, 25 May 2005 2:00 AM
To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
Subject: [ozmidwifery] Re: Pain relief resources

>
>
>I think one reason why women fear the pain of childbirth so much is
that they know that no one is being straight with them about "Just how
bad is it?"  I think that being descriptive about what I felt ("like a
molten hot basket ball being pressed down into my crotch every 3 minutes
with just enough time to barely get myself together before the next big
press") AND also letting women know that I'm the world's biggest wimp
when it comes to pain (didn't have my ears pierced till I was 34 y.o.
and then had to lie in bed whimpering for 24 hrs after) and yet I've had
3 natural births, is empowering.  I also find that if a woman is friends
with other women who have done it she's more likely to go the distance.
I tell the women they can have the "pay now plan" or the "pay later
plan" with re to pain in birth.  The "pay now" route gets it done in one
day (natural birth), the "pay later" route means a low grade insidious
pain that can last beyond six weeks (epidural headache, backache,
stitches healing, or worse after c sec).  The biggest benefit of the
"pay now" route is that you have a child with all the brain cells Nature
intended for him/her.  That is a reward that you reap for your whole
life for just one day of courage.  
>  
>
Gloria Lemay, Vancouver, BC Canada

>
>  
>



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RE: [ozmidwifery] FW: Breastfeeding

[Kerreen Reiger]

Dear Barb
Your thoughtful discussion of he b'feeding  issue is well-said and accords with 
what other LCs say I think. I am  not one to argue for simplistic and 
individualistic interpretations of  women's 'choice', eg to have elective 
caesars or  to bottle feed,  because all 'choices' are socially shaped. But I 
think it is very inappropriate and self-defeating to get on the moral high 
horse and  neglect  the obstacles  that women currently face in what Pam 
Carter's called the  'working conditions' of breastfeeding. 
 
It is not necessary to  attack a journalist personally nor is it 
'women-centred' to accuse people of making choices we disagree with when we do 
not know  what their personal story or situation is. Fiona Giles' Fresh Milk  
or Virginia Schmied's work show very well the variety of experiences and 
dilemmas women face, including cultural attitudes to the  body and  pressures 
from partners, mothers etc. Surely we should be focusing on the structural 
constraints such as poor birthing and postnatal care, lack of maternity leave 
and childcare etc that influence decision-making! Many women are simply stuck 
in a lousy system and deserve understanding and respect  rather than 
condemnation. 
 
As that wonderful wise woman Sheila Kitzinger wrote in the Preface to  my book 
Our Bodies Our Babies, 'If individual women are to find a voice, wherever they 
are coming from, their individual choices are valid. Those of us who find 
ourselves representing the  birth (and breastfeeding) movement need to listen 
and learn. Only then can we understand.' As she goes on to points out , some 
women seek epidurals because they have suffered sexual or other abuse, and who 
are we to judge? Also, pertinent to Justine's recent comment, are they then to 
be denied midwifery care? Surely not! 
 
For myself, I think we need some humility here and, as Barb recognises,  
understand diversity of needs and circumstances. As Sheila  K also comments, we 
face a tension between on the one hand  'helping individual women, enabling 
them to  have the a positive experience, whatever kind of birth it is. On the 
other, we are working to change the system... to respect the  normal physiology 
of birth and lactation. '  I don't think being  'Nipple Nazis', as people say, 
is very productive. Maybe we can share around the guilt of not yet making the 
world a fit place for mothers!
In struggle
Kerreen
 
 
  



From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of Denise Fisher
Sent: Wed 18/05/2005 5:32 PM
To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] FW: Breastfeeding


Hi Carina

You've brought up some points that are good food for thought. It was a tragedy 
the day that milk banks were closed in Australia due to the scare with HIV, 
despite pasteurisation easily killing HIV (I wonder why sperm banks weren't 
also closed??). I note that a new bank is opening in WA and perhaps one in 
Melbourne. I wish them success.

The incidence of physiological inability to breastfeed is somewhere in the 
order of  1 - 2 per 100 women. I don't believe with an incidence at this level 
that it warrants we guard everything we say to every woman. And then there's 
that really fascinating topic of 'guilt'. 
Can you induce guilt in someone? - maybe, if they really are guilty. However I 
don't feel guilty about something I have no control over. For example if I had 
no uterus I wouldn't feel guilty that I'm not adding to Australia's population, 
no matter how much Mr Howard exhorts me to. If I had no breasts or my breasts 
were not functional I would not feel guilty that I'm not breastfeeding 
regardless of how many people told me it was best.

My opinion is that some health professionals don't know how to support women to 
breastfeed adequately and in covering their own feelings of guilt about this 
they 'pretend' that it's the mother they are trying not to make feel guilty.

To give you lots of different opinions on guilt and breastfeeding do a google 
search using those terms.

Have fun
Denise

At 03:23 PM 18/05/2005 +0930, you wrote:


Some food for thought,

 What about the women who simply cannot breastfeed and cannot produce 
enough milk The wet nurse is still in existence in many tribal cultures 
where formulary has no influence. It's very easy to be passionate about 
something and sing it's praises when you have experienced success, but what 
about those women who don't succeed despite months of trying and perseverance. 
I, like all many midwives of course believe that breast is best and should be 
promoted as optimum nutrition for a baby but sometimes I believe that in trying 
to get this message across we need to be careful not to make other women lose 
their 'confidence ands fall into the motherhood guilt trap'. 

Carina

***
Denise Fisher, MMP, BN, IBCLC
Health e-Learning
http://www.health-e-learning

RE: [ozmidwifery] research register?

[Kerreen Reiger]

Hi List 
As an academic, I hate to say that it is quite 'normal' for there to be no 
coherent collection of research being done etc. It's also  a dreadful problem! 
However midwifery is no different to any other field. Mostly one only  knows 
about  things through professional conferences and associations or personal 
networks. Last June's ARCHI conference for example  was a terrific opportunity  
for finding out about developments across Australia and networking. Maybe ACMI  
has taken up  collecting information but  it would still be reliant on  people 
letting them know what  researchers, including postgrad  students are doing. 
 
For anyone's interest, I  am working on staff working relationships in 
maternity care settings. Three projects  are at various stages : 
1. a pilot study  based on interviews across a few public units with managers 
and senior obstetricians- interesting stuff on the impact of organisational 
restructuring  on midwifery cultures
2. I've now completed an analysis  of the working relationships amongst staff 
involved in the introduction of new team  midwifery model in a small rural 
maternity unit ie team members, other ward-based staff and managers, and local 
GPs-  
3. Study of complex  issues in a large tertiary unit undergoing major 
organisational change:  issues of mid/ob knowledge,  professional boundary 
tensions, role of ob trainees, emotional dimensions. etc.
 
A paper from this work will  be given at ICM in July. I'm always interested in 
feedback on the above issues. 
 
 I will also return later this year to work I started on the historical 
development of ACMI - it's been on hold for want of funding!
Maybe others can post details of other work in progress and a thread can be 
then available? 
cheers
Kerreen 
 
 
Kerreen Reiger
Associate Professor
Sociology Program
School of Social Sciences
La Trobe University
Australia 3086
Ph: 61 3 9479 1040
Fax: 613 94792705
E: [EMAIL PROTECTED]



From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of Dean & Jo
Sent: Fri 15/04/2005 9:37 AM
To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] research register?


So would this be an indicator that there is no such collation of information 
other than doing a search on the topic and seeing who has done what?  Surely if 
this is the case there would be double ups and wasted resources!!  
 
Is there any academics on list that can comment on this please?
 
Jo
 
-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jackie Doolan
Sent: Friday, April 15, 2005 8:47 AM
To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] research register?
 
I think this would be a great idea. Would help people to network with others 
who share the same areas of interest.
Jackie Doolan
-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dean & Jo
Sent: Thursday, April 14, 2005 6:12 PM
To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [ozmidwifery] research register?
Is there a kind of register of what topics are being researched in 
midwifery circles?  
 
Just interested.  ;o)
 
Jo
 
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<>

RE: [ozmidwifery] Fw:Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative

[Kerreen Reiger]

I'll raise the  MFCI  material with MC again  soon and see what people think! I 
myself can't take on  anything else till mid-year. Glad to hear there's some 
interest.
Kerreen



From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] on behalf of Helen and Graham
Sent: Wed 23/03/2005 4:32 PM
To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Fw:Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative



Hi Kerreen

As per my earlier email I love the idea as being a concrete platform on
which to develop policy.   I also like the fact that the initiative is woman
focussed and not midwife/health professional focussed as once the parameters
are set into place, the assessor evaluating the health care facility doesn't
have to be a health professional.  This helps to keeps the whole thing
objective and independent. I think it works pretty well with the Baby
Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI).  I'd love to see it happen, given the
success of the BFHI and think MC would be the best placed to develop it and
oversee it.

Helen Cahill


- Original Message -----
From: "Kerreen Reiger" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: 
Sent: Wednesday, March 23, 2005 2:00 PM
Subject: RE: [ozmidwifery] Fw:Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative


Hi all
I have talked with Andrea over the years about the idea of Maternity
Coalition taking up the Mother-Friendly Childbirth material. I
discovered it independently in 1997 or so and we ran an MC workshop
using it as a basis. In 1998 we also organised a lunchtime session at
the Birth amongst Friends conference in Canberra at which anthropologist
Robbie Davis-Floyd talked about the processes of dialogue which finally
produced the CIMS  (Coalition for improving maternity services)consensus
statement that MFCI now is. Robbie had been closely involved in it all
along and I have talked with her since then about its limited but
important role in the US as a model for hospitals to aspire to.

At that time, '98, though there seemed little interest from midwives,
possibly for reasons to do with time and place.  Andrea, I think
rightly, pointed out to me that the dialogue about desirable goals
needed to happen at the Australian level.  I think NMAP and midwifery
developments have now facilitated that, and I for one (not speaking for
MC at all) would like to see us develop a similar 'steps' type program.

What I think MFCI offers is a set of goals clearly spelt out that can be
useful in a variety of settings, including private. It is women-focused
rather than midwife/professional focused which is both philosophically
important but also strategically useful with obs/managers. That it's
used elsewhere can also be valuable, but yes, it needs local
development.

Who else thinks it useful as a basis and is interested in getting such a
process going?
Cheers
Kerreen

 -Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Denise Hynd
Sent: Tuesday, 22 March 2005 8:38 PM
To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Fw:Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative

Dear Andrea

It is on the national agenda for the NMAP document to be updated for
example
to cover hospital based 1-2-1 midwifery and the ACMI Giudelines for
Referral

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: "Andrea Robertson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: 
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 5:23 PM
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Fw:Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative


> Hi Helen,
>
> We circulated this document at the Future Birth event in 1996 when
Marsden
> Wagner was on the speaking team. It has been adapted in several
countries
> to reflect local conditions, the most recent one that I saw was for
> Thailand where the Childbirth and Breastfeeding Foundation of Thailand

> prepared a variation for use in Cambodia, where they were presenting
> training workshops for maternity professionals (about 18 months ago
now).
>
> The original version is specifically designed for the US scene (see
the
> point about circumcision, as an example) and so would need to be
adapted
> for use in OZ.  Personally, I think that the NMAP takes its place
here,
> and because this document is aimed at strengthening midwifery
practise, it
> follows that the resultant care would be more mother friendly.
>
> Cheers
>
> Andrea
>
>
>
> At 05:36 PM 20/03/2005, you wrote:
>>Found this online whilst surfing and wondered if Australia is looking
to
>>implement this kind of idea too (or an adaptation of same).  I have
only
>>heard of the WHO/UNICEF Baby friendly Hospital Initiative which is
very
>>much in use in Australia.  Can anyone fill me in?  It sounds like a
great
>>idea to

RE: [ozmidwifery] Fw:Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative

[Kerreen Reiger]

Hi all
I have talked with Andrea over the years about the idea of Maternity
Coalition taking up the Mother-Friendly Childbirth material. I
discovered it independently in 1997 or so and we ran an MC workshop
using it as a basis. In 1998 we also organised a lunchtime session at
the Birth amongst Friends conference in Canberra at which anthropologist
Robbie Davis-Floyd talked about the processes of dialogue which finally
produced the CIMS  (Coalition for improving maternity services)consensus
statement that MFCI now is. Robbie had been closely involved in it all
along and I have talked with her since then about its limited but
important role in the US as a model for hospitals to aspire to.

At that time, '98, though there seemed little interest from midwives,
possibly for reasons to do with time and place.  Andrea, I think
rightly, pointed out to me that the dialogue about desirable goals
needed to happen at the Australian level.  I think NMAP and midwifery
developments have now facilitated that, and I for one (not speaking for
MC at all) would like to see us develop a similar 'steps' type program.
 
What I think MFCI offers is a set of goals clearly spelt out that can be
useful in a variety of settings, including private. It is women-focused
rather than midwife/professional focused which is both philosophically
important but also strategically useful with obs/managers. That it's
used elsewhere can also be valuable, but yes, it needs local
development. 

Who else thinks it useful as a basis and is interested in getting such a
process going?
Cheers
Kerreen 

 -Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Denise Hynd
Sent: Tuesday, 22 March 2005 8:38 PM
To: ozmidwifery@acegraphics.com.au
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Fw:Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative

Dear Andrea

It is on the national agenda for the NMAP document to be updated for
example 
to cover hospital based 1-2-1 midwifery and the ACMI Giudelines for
Referral

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: "Andrea Robertson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: 
Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 5:23 PM
Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Fw:Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative


> Hi Helen,
>
> We circulated this document at the Future Birth event in 1996 when
Marsden 
> Wagner was on the speaking team. It has been adapted in several
countries 
> to reflect local conditions, the most recent one that I saw was for 
> Thailand where the Childbirth and Breastfeeding Foundation of Thailand

> prepared a variation for use in Cambodia, where they were presenting 
> training workshops for maternity professionals (about 18 months ago
now).
>
> The original version is specifically designed for the US scene (see
the 
> point about circumcision, as an example) and so would need to be
adapted 
> for use in OZ.  Personally, I think that the NMAP takes its place
here, 
> and because this document is aimed at strengthening midwifery
practise, it 
> follows that the resultant care would be more mother friendly.
>
> Cheers
>
> Andrea
>
>
>
> At 05:36 PM 20/03/2005, you wrote:
>>Found this online whilst surfing and wondered if Australia is looking
to 
>>implement this kind of idea too (or an adaptation of same).  I have
only 
>>heard of the WHO/UNICEF Baby friendly Hospital Initiative which is
very 
>>much in use in Australia.  Can anyone fill me in?  It sounds like a
great 
>>idea to me and should give ammunition to those midwives working in 
>>hospitals striving to make improvements in their care/minimize 
>>interventions.  Maybe maternity coalition may be able to formulate 
>>something similar or maybe they have already! - if so, excuse my 
>>ignorance...
>>Helen Cahill
>>
>>
>>http://www.motherfriendly.o
rg/MFCI/steps/
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>The Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Ten Steps of the Mother-Friendly Childbirth Initiative for
Mother-Friendly 
>>Hospitals, Birth Centers, and Home Birth Services
>>
>>
>>
>>To receive CIMS designation as "mother-friendly," a hospital, 
>>birth center, or

>>home birth service must carry out our philosophical principles by 
>>fulfilling the Ten Steps of Mother-Friendly Care:
>>
>>A mother-friendly hospital, birth center, or home birth service:
>>* Offers all birthing mothers:
>>* Unrestricted access to the birth companions of her choice, 
>> including fathers, partners, children, family members, and friends;
>>* Unrestricted access to continuous emotional and physical
support 
>> from a skilled woman-for example, a 
>> doula or 
>> labor-support professional:
>>* Access to professional midwifery care. 
>> (

RE: [ozmidwifery] sharing info

[Kerreen Reiger]

Hi all, 
In the spirit of the recent discussion re importance of sharing
information  concerning  mid- and women- friendly  models of care, I
have just  noticed information about a Canadian initiative funded by
Canadian federal gov't and bringing  professional and consumer
stakeholders together. See Multidisciplinary Collaborative Primary
Maternity Care Project on google, and/or
http://sogc.medical.org/collaborative/index_e.shtml

They had a conference in Vancouver a few weeks ago and I'll be asking to
talk with some of the people involved when I am in Toronto in early
June. I'll tell you what I  find out then but in the  meantime, it's a
useful initiative for us all to know about and use in lobbying efforts. 
Cheers
Kerreen 



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[ozmidwifery] RE:conference on emotions

[Kerreen Reiger]

Dear ozmidders
I have been meaning to send this message for a few weeks since I heard about a 
forthcoming conference in the UK in September. The deadline for  submission of 
an abstract is now next week, 17 March.  Please contact me if you need more 
details of the organisers etc. 
Kerreen Reiger
 
'A labour of love? Emotion work and reproduction', University of Huddersfield, 
15th & 16th September 2005

 

KEYNOTE SPEAKER:

 

Professor Arlie Russell Hochschild

University of California at Berkeley


 


The Centre for Health & Social Care at the University of Huddersfield is 
hosting this conference in response to an increasing body of research on 
emotion work/emotional labour.  The conference is being held in collaboration 
with The Women's Informed Childbearing Research Group (WICH) at the University 
of Sheffield and Centre for Midwifery and Gender Studies, School of Health 
Science, University of Wales Swansea. 

 

The focus of the conference is on emotion work/emotional labour and the way in 
which this is experienced within the field of reproductive health.  This has 
implications for all those working within education, health and other human 
services.

 

The conference aims to bring together researchers, practitioners and others 
from various countries, from a range of disciplines, in order to share their 
experiences of studying/researching emotion work/emotional labour.  

 

Bookings received by 1st July 2005

2 day Conference fee:   £150 inc. VAT (does not include accommodation)

Day registration: £90 inc. VAT (does not include accommodation)

 

Conference fee after 1st July 2005: £185 inc. VAT (does not include 
accommodation)

Day registration after 1st July 2005: £115 (does not include accommodation)

<>

RE: [ozmidwifery] returning to list

[Kerreen Reiger]

Hi all
I am finally returning to the list after a long absence due to work 
commitments. Already I am glad to be back, eg in light of this discussion about 
babies'  settling/crying. For those who don't already  know me, I am a founder 
of Maternity Coalition and a  social scientist/historian who's worked on 
maternity care issues for  many years. I'm  now studying  working relationships 
in maternity care settings and a paper at ICM will be the first out on this 
research. Some details of my last book  are below for those interested, 
including discount sales. 
 
I have  both a longstanding  professional and strong personal interest in  
relationships between professionals and mothers.  What  bothers me about  
return of emphasis on regimentation  of babies is not only the  neglect of  
bubs' variability but further  professional dominance of mothering. We have two 
new babies in our family (my  first g'children!) and within a few weeks I saw 
the impact of lousy professional advice on b'feeding and management, but also  
some excellent support that encouraged my daughter-in -law to feel  that  she 
was the  'expert' on her baby! How we ensure this across midwifery and 
maternal, child nursing remains the challenge it seems. Who is  actually 
contesting this article in the MJA or the press? Thanks for  drawing our 
attention to it.
cheers
Kerreen
About  Our Bodies Our Babies: the forgotten women's movement:

In Our Bodies, Our Babies: the forgotten women's movement, Kerreen Reiger 
traces the struggle of Australian women and others to change approaches to 
childbirth, to claim their right to choices in childbirth, and to educate 
themselves about birth and breastfeeding. She explores a social movement which 
has radically changed our maternity care practices, allowing fathers to 
participate in the birth of their children and babies to 'room-in' with their 
mothers. It laid the foundation for new models of care such as birth centres. 
The book draws on interviews with mothers, midwives and doctors, and on 
archival material from women's organisations such as the Nursing Mothers' 
Association of Australia (NMAA) and the Childbirth Education Association. It 
discusses the relevance of the childbirth and the breastfeeding movements to 
feminism and women's rights, arguing that the needs of mothers as citizens need 
to be taken more seriously. Our Bodies, Our Babies is essential reading for all 
health professionals involved in maternity care

 

 Discounted copies now available at $15 (originally $38.95) plus postage: 
please contact me for an order form.  Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 



<>

diet

[Kerreen Reiger]

Hi all, 
The discussion on diet is close to my heart at present since I have been
put on a strict no wheat, sugar, dairy products or yeast diet to try to
shake years of CFS. It is certainly helping. How can we develop a campaign
around healthy food for mothers?  My chiro said she was so disgusted with
what her friend was served she took meals into the private hospital to her!
Any suggestions on building awareness of nutrition as major factor not only
in b'feeding but  mothers' health? How  much is in mid. curricula? Could
ACMI be asked to promote guidelines to state health depts and hence
hospitals? 


Finally, for those with historical curiosity, a note on egg powder from
research for my earlier book, the Disenchantment of the Home: 
 At the  Royal Commission on the Basic Wage in 1920, several working class
housewives were quizzed about expenditure. The minutes of the inquiry are
FASSCINATING reading for insights into these women's lives. A particular
point of contention was the Commissioners' (men!) repeatedly arguing for
egg powder as a sign of thrift. This was firmly rejected by the  women: 
 
 'I do not think there could be any nourishment in them...If it is sold so
cheaply  compared with eggs there must be a lot of difference in them.
There is nourishment in the eggs and the children like them' (Mrs  Jennie
Jobson)
and 
"I am not going to eat egg powder as long as fowls will lay eggs. While
eggs are in the country, I have a right to  get them' said  Mrs Ruby Burley
from Footscray. When asked  what was the matter with egg powder, she
replied ' I have not tried it. You might find it tasty  to the appetite,
but the body would not be satisfied'!! 

Our grandmothers fought hard over such seemingly trivial things- we need to
do likewise!
cheers
Kerreen
Dr Kerreen Reiger
Director of Women's Studies
Senior Lecturer in Sociology
School of Social Sciences
La Trobe University
Australia 3086
Ph: 61 3 9479 1040
Fax: 61 3 9479 2705
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Calling Adelaide Midwifery students!

[Kerreen Reiger]

 Re Jessica's response to my comment on language- 
it is great to see your lively participation in professional issues- bodes
well for the future!
 I wonder if some of you Adelaide Midwifery students (of all sorts) would
be able to come to a focus group for my research on the College onf
Midwives? i am sure you have many issues to discuss about professional
preapration and perceptions of the role of teh College. I will be running
focus groups on Thursday afternoon 20 June, and was trying to get hold of
you through the Unis but you will be on break anyway. The focus groups
will be 4 through 7pm  at the ACMI office, 20 William st Norwood. If you
would like a specially designated one for 'students' (midwifery of
course!), please  ask each other and let me know! A call for participants
will also be posted at your unis, along with information about the project,
this week. 
 for those not in adelaide- i'll be doing others when I can- eg Brisbane 15
june, place not yet organised. 
 regards
kerreen
Dr Kerreen Reiger
Director of Women's Studies
School of Social Sciences
La Trobe University 3086
Australia
ph: 61 3 9479 1040
fax: 61 3 9479 2705
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language

[Kerreen Reiger]

Dear all, 
a quick note on language. I am struck by the continued use of 'student
midwife' when we do not talk of student doctor, social worker etc. Surely
if mid is to be regards as professional like others, it is consistent to
say midwifery student! It's like the 'birthing/delivering' difference- our
language shapes our reality. Let's encourage midwifery students to take
pride in what they are becoming and not use outdated terminology. 
just a thought, 
Kerreen
Dr Kerreen Reiger
Director of Women's Studies
School of Social Sciences
La Trobe University 3086
Australia
ph: 61 3 9479 1040
fax: 61 3 9479 2705
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Re: Conference

[Kerreen Reiger]

Hi Ozmidders,
re discussion on forthcoming conferences- Belinda thought there was
a'forthcoming one in Melbourne'. She could be thinking of the 'Performing
Motherhood' conference at La Trobe  4-6 July which I sent a message around
about a while back. It is not a mid conference, but does include  birth
issues. It starts with an opening public lecture, 'Unmasking motherhood' by
Susan Maushart.
For details, see the la Trobe women's Studies home page- 
http://www.latrobe.edu.au/ws/ws_program.html. 
hope some of you can join us!
Kerreen 
 
Dr Kerreen Reiger
Director of Women's Studies
School of Social Sciences
La Trobe University 3086
Australia
ph: 61 3 9479 1040
fax: 61 3 9479 2705
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forthcoming Motherhood conference

[Kerreen Reiger]

>Dear Ozmidders
The purpose of this email is to draw the following conference to your
attention.
We'd appreciate it if you could disseminate this information as widely as
possible. Registration brochures are now available by mail.

Included is the basic information - if you are interested in offering a
paper let us know urgently.
>
>Best wishes
>
>
Kerreen
>
>
   INTERDISCIPLINARY CONFERENCE
> 
>  'Performing Motherhood: Ideology, Agency and Experience'
>
>   4-6 JULY 2002
>La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
>
>Motherhood and mothering are gaining momentum as important areas of
>scholarship.   The idea of "performance" denaturalises and recognises
differences in women's experience. How do we "act" our mothering in
reference to internalised familial scripts and wider discourses around
'race'/ethnicity and class?  By association, how do we resist these scripts
and disrupt normative mothering?  This conference will explore a variety of
themes in contemporary feminist scholarship and activism.
>
>We welcome papers from a variety of sources including academics, health
>care professionals, activists, psychotherapists, public policy makers, and
>students from cross-cultural, international, intergenerational and
>interdisciplinary perspectives.
>
>Opening Lecture will be given by Susan Maushart (The Mask of Motherhood).
>Other speakers include Pru Goward, Federal Sex Discrimination
>Commissioner, and on video from New York, Sara Ruddick (Maternal Thinking)
>and Jane Lazarre (The Mother Knot) who will be interviewed by Kerreen
>Reiger (Our Bodies, Our Babies: The Forgotten Women's Movement).
>
>
>Deadline for paper submissions: 25 April
>Elisabeth Speller on e-mail, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>or
>Petra Bueskens on e-mail, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>For further information on Program details, please telephone Louise
>Palmer, Women's Studies Administrator on (03) 9479 5898 or e-mail
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
>
>



Dr Kerreen Reiger
Director of Women's Studies
Senior Lecturer in Sociology
School of Social Sciences
La Trobe University
Australia 3086
Ph: 61 3 9479 1040
Fax: 61 3 9479 2705
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Urgent research help please

[Kerreen Reiger]

 Dear list folks, 

I am seeking some urgent help with my study of ACMI which is part of the
Australian Midwifery Action Project and due to wind up soon. Details of the
project are below. 

 I am coming to Sydney for the final research meeting on Monday, and, in
spite of short notice, would appreciate it if some midwives could join me
to discuss their views on the College's role etc at a focus group at 
the Royal hospital for Women, Randwick, this coming Sat pm, 9 march,
from  3-4.30pm in the Administration Conference room level '0' 
(ground- follow signs to Administration I believe).
  I would especially like to contact midwives who are NOT ACMI members, or
not actively involved. Could you pass this request on to friends or
colleagues please? 
 Further, I am doing a short questionnaire which I cannot attach to send
via the list, but  would be pleased to send an on-line or in hard copy to
anyone prepared to complete it if you email me. Several  of you have
already done trial versions fo rwhich i am grateful!
I'll appreciate your assistance in getting  a wide range of views. 
Thanks 
Kerreen Reiger

**
 
Information re research project:

 The Australian College of Midwives Inc.: the emergence, development and
challenges of a professional organisation.

I am inviting you to participate in a research study of ACMI. This study
examines the emergence of the Australian College of Midwives Incorporated
(ACMI) from the late 70s into the 1980s, and the ongoing processes of
developing organisational structures at national and state levels. The
project draws upon documentary analysis of journals and archival materials
made available by the College, and also interviews and questionnaires with
a variety of past and present members. Some midwives and midwifery students
will also be sought for focus groups to gain insight questions of
leadership in the profession and political awareness. My aim is to
establish the organisational goals and challenges faced by ACMI over the
years since its inception, and clarify perceptions about future directions.
The research will also involve analysis of the wider professionalisation
processes in midwifery in recent years and contribute to the larger study,
the Australian Midwifery Action Project (AMAP) on which ACMI is an industry
partner and I am an Investigator.  








Dr Kerreen Reiger
Director of Women's Studies
Senior Lecturer in Sociology
School of Social Sciences
La Trobe University
Australia 3086
Ph: 61 3 9479 1040
Fax: 61 3 9479 2705
email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Re: NZ Birth Centres

[Kerreen Reiger]

Laraine
i visited a really interesting program in Palmerston North in late 99- I
hope they are still going- they were awaiting further funding confirmation.
I have not managed to stay in touch. They had a wonderful house and assist
at both home and hospital births and the program is community run.  A good
person to contact re the  birth centre/homebirth scene in NZ is Rea
Daellenbach who teaches in the mid program at Christchurch Polytechnic. She
is a long time  h/bth activist, and a social scientist not a midwife. We
have an article by her coming out in the forthcoming isue of our Maternity
Coalition journal, Birth Matters. I won't put her contact details  without
her permission, but I have them. 
 Kerreen 
Dr Kerreen Reiger
Director of Women's Studies
School of Social Sciences
La Trobe University 3086
Australia
ph: 61 3 9479 1040
fax: 61 3 9479 2705
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Melbourne Forum on maternity care

[Kerreen Reiger]

Dear Victorian listers,

Many of you will have already received information  about the 'Best
Practice in Maternity Care: what have we got and what do we want?' forum on
August 5. Details are below, including an invitation to attend a Maternity
Coalition 10th anniversary dinner!

Apart from drawing your attention to this event, and letting others around
the country know what we are up to as a critical response to Victoria's
Maternity Enhancement Strategy, we are also seeking assistance from locals.

 If you have information concerning maternity care conditions which you
would like publicised, please send a message in return. You may need to
email me privately if it is confidential concerning a particular hospital
etc, and we will NOT let that information out! Anything about  problems in
the current system with regard to antenatal care and education, birthing
and postnatal issues are within the  brief. Stories, accounts of conditions
for midwives and mothers which you think we can use politically will be of
enormous value.

We are considering reformatting any email responses into ordinary files,
stripping off any identifiers, and turning them into a poster-type display
for browsing!SO HERE IS YOUR CHANCE TO TELL INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE
SYSTEM OF PROBLEMS AND ALSO ANY GOOD THINGS HAPPENING!! All women
politicians, and DHS bureaucrats,  have been invited and representatives of
women's organisations. In the light of the Senate inquiry, this vic
activity becomes especialy significant. We will be asking participants to
prioritise areas for change.Enquiries- to Joy Johnston or myself,
cheers
Kerreen Reiger



Best Practice Maternity Care:
what have we got and what do we want?

WHEN AND WHERE: 3-5pm on 5 August at the Cato Conference  Centre, YWCA, 489
Elizabeth St, Melbourne.

Women from all political parties, major women's organisations and networks
are invited to a free public forum to discuss current problems in maternity
services and a vision for the future.

Panel Speakers are midwives,
Maria Nethercott on antenatal care,
 Vanessa Owen on birth,
 Frances Bettenay, Maternal and Child Health Nurse, on postnatal
issues.

 To encourage debate about a vision for the future, midwife, Patrice Hickey
will speak about NZ developments, and social researcher,  Kerreen Reiger
will outline the Mother Friendly Childbirth Initiative in the US and the
Australian Midwifery Action Project. In discussion time, members of the
audience will be asked to prioritise suggested action strategies.

This forum is being sponsored by the Best Practice in Maternity Care
Committee formed by the ANF, ACMI (Vic), the Maternity Coalition Inc, the
Midwives' Action Group and the Maternal and Child Health Special Interest
Group.

The Maternity Coalition is then holding a dinner to celebrate its birth a
decade ago during teh Victorian Birthing Services Review!

'Changing the image of childbirth: the role of the media'

The evening event  includes pre-dinner drinks at 6pm, a 2 course dinner and
discussion: MC launch of new web page, a video on current TV birth images
introduced by childbirth educator, Bronny Handfield and  panel of
journalists leading the discussion.
Cost $48 (waged) or $30 (unwaged).
For further information/inquiries contact
Rhea Dempsey  (03)9562 8592 or Kerreen Reiger on (03)9439 7852 .

Please complete and mail registration details as  below:

--
I wish to register for ' The image of childbirth in the media' on August 5.
NameŠ.
AddressŠ
PhoneŠ
Enclosed is cheque/money order for $48 (waged), or $ 30 (unwaged)

PLEASE MAKE PAYMENT OUT TO THE MATERNITY COALITION INC., AND MAIL TO THE
MATERNITY COALITION INC, PO BOX 48 BRIGHTON, 3186 ASAP, AND AT THE LATEST
BY 29 JULY.
Receipts will be issued as dinner tickets on  the day.



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