navigating birth choices beautiful birth 2011
TRANSCRIPT
Navigating Birth Choices
• What I wont be telling you is which way is best for you! I will be talking about best practice, evidence and how to decide how you will navigate negotiate and demand for
yourself so your choices are your own
• During this workshop I will be asking you to be engaged and ask questions – make sure you get what you need
from today
• “Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers ~ strong, competent, capable mothers who trust
themselves and know their inner strength.”
• Barbara Katz Rothman
If only there was a list of options!
Menu
MainsMedical clinicMidwives clinicMidwifery led careGP shared carePrivate obstetricianPrivate midwife
Side orderWater birthEpiduralCesareanHomeHospitalDrugsMassagehypnotherapy
Are women making choices?
• Are they informed – by what ? who ? When? Where ?
• family
• experience
• stories
• Health care provider, midwife or doctor
• information
Is there a choice?
• What are we talking about today?• Medical model midwifery model birth
centre, labour ward delivery suit private public homebirth drugs no drugs pain relief no pain relief partner mother father mother in law arghhhhhhhhh
Medicine and Midwifery do not need to be exclusive of each
other!!!!!
• Healthy birth – what does it mean
• Is it normal, intervention free,
vaginal, cesarean?
• Why not a cesarean? Organised, no labour, on time, manageable?????
• More and more and more woman are having a cesarean – that's a choice???
• Vaginal birth – is it normal birth
Lets talk pain
How can I manage/cope?
Midwifery care
Water birth
induction
monitoring
• CTG• Doppler
• Scalp clip• pinnards
When to come in, when to call your midwife !!!!!!!!
Don’t know what you want?Do you have to choose now
NOOOOOOOOOO
Give it a go!!!
• But be determined
• Be determined but don’t be inflexible
• Be flexible but don’t be compliant
• Do or do not... there is no try. ~ Yoda
• Where to find help and information?
• Special interest groups i.e. Australian College of Midwives, Maternity Coalition, Baby Friendly health Initiative, Homebirth
Australia, Australian Private Practice Midwives Association, Midwives Australia,
Australian Breastfeeding Association, Cesarean Awareness Resource and
Education (CARES).
• Midwives
• Doctors
• Hospitals
• Networks
• Other women
• Surf the net!
• How to handle the net!!!!!
• What information is good quality
• What is opinion
• When to stop!
So how to be flexible but not compliant?• know what you prefer/want
• Understand your options
• Make sure the people around you understand your preferences and WILL
support them
• Remember partners and support people can be scared too
• Will you be annoying if you ask?
• Keep asking until it makes sense to you!
remember
• Childbirth doesn’t have to be a drama even though it sometimes is
• Avoid interventions unless you are comfortable with why you need them
Last thought…• There is nothing
better in this world than the smell of your own newborn baby