http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/04/a-plea-for-peace-in-the-maternity-turf-wars/ now with extra source Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:29:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/04/a-plea-for-peace-in-the-maternity-turf-wars/#comment-25483 Bill Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-25483 As a male who recently qualified for the title of Gramps, I wish that midwives had a trade union as powerful as that of MBBS recipients.<br /> As a male who recently qualified for the title of Gramps, I wish that midwives had a trade union as powerful as that of MBBS recipients.

]]> http://www.crikey.com.au/2009/02/04/a-plea-for-peace-in-the-maternity-turf-wars/#comment-25484 Kate Allardice Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000 #comment-25484 Caroline your plea for peace is dependent on reaching a middle ground? <br />Midwives and women have their backs so firmly up against the wall already that a call for further concessions and compromise seems absurd - there is no-where for them to go! <br />The medicalisation of pregnancy and childbirth in Australia has been so effective that all birth is now deemed to be normal only in retrospect. How can we move forward when the dominant medical ideology is based on the premise that every pregnant woman is a ticking time bomb. <br />Women and midwives have not created these "turf wars" by pushing for birthing autonomy - but it would seem that obstetrics may have something to lose - control! Not a good position for bargaining really. The power is very firmly maintained by our obstetric colleagues. <br /> What we need is a paradigm shift towards the reality that all low risk birth is normal until proven otherwise and that midwives have the requisite qualifications and skill to attend birth, and refer appropriately when necessary. It's about recognition of specialist skills. Specialist obstetricians, specialist midwives. There is a mountain of evidence to support midwifery led models of care and yet midwifery units and family birth centres close down! Why? At this point, we are rapidly loosing expertise in both disciplines. If we do not find a way to change our model of care then I fear we are looking at a future where 'deliveries' are made by obstetric surgeons and obstetric nurses and vaginal birth, like undiagnosed breech birth, will become a curiosity. Caroline your plea for peace is dependent on reaching a middle ground?
Midwives and women have their backs so firmly up against the wall already that a call for further concessions and compromise seems absurd - there is no-where for them to go!
The medicalisation of pregnancy and childbirth in Australia has been so effective that all birth is now deemed to be normal only in retrospect. How can we move forward when the dominant medical ideology is based on the premise that every pregnant woman is a ticking time bomb.
Women and midwives have not created these “turf wars” by pushing for birthing autonomy - but it would seem that obstetrics may have something to lose - control! Not a good position for bargaining really. The power is very firmly maintained by our obstetric colleagues.
What we need is a paradigm shift towards the reality that all low risk birth is normal until proven otherwise and that midwives have the requisite qualifications and skill to attend birth, and refer appropriately when necessary. It’s about recognition of specialist skills. Specialist obstetricians, specialist midwives. There is a mountain of evidence to support midwifery led models of care and yet midwifery units and family birth centres close down! Why? At this point, we are rapidly loosing expertise in both disciplines. If we do not find a way to change our model of care then I fear we are looking at a future where ‘deliveries’ are made by obstetric surgeons and obstetric nurses and vaginal birth, like undiagnosed breech birth, will become a curiosity.

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