At the Oslo ICM conference (1996), a German historian, Barbara Duden said that that 'modern health care was disabling women for normal birth'. Her book, 'Disembodying Women' explained how the proliferation of specialities in maternity care was constructing the 'fetus as an endangered species and the woman's uterus as a faulty ecosystem' and modern healthcare as the rescuer of that fetus from the dangerous womb. I was deeply affected by Barbara Duden's presentation and immediately bought her book and read it avidly cover to cover. Her words resonated with me and as a midwife, I wondered where all this measuring, surveillance and intervention in the childbearing process was going.
Photo from freebirthing article - look at that vernix!
An article on Freebirthing, published in September 23, 2016, by Claire Feeley, midwife and PhD researcher from the University of Central Lancashire, stated that women were getting fed up with the fear and risk-obsessed maternity care system and were taking their autonomy and control back. Claire's research findings suggest that the rise in freebirthing is because women perceive that doctors and midwives are not listening to women and ignoring their needs. I have been hearing even more about freebirthing recently; more women are taking control over their bodies into their own hands, believing that the lack of respect and kindness coupled with the proliferation of interventions assocated with mainstream maternity care to be more dangerous than giving birth without midwifery or medical support. Midwives are finding their practice increasingly bound by rules, guidelines, protocols and the threat and/or reality of being reported to the regulating body, whose processes are ponderous and have been experienced as soul destroying and emotionally damaging for many. Is this another reason why women are bypassing midwives for their care?
As those of us who've been around for a while know, risk status is a poor predictor of outcome. Women designated with high risk pregnancies by the system often birth well; occasionally, women designated as having 'low risk' pregnancies can end up with all sorts of misadventures. When I was in private practice, women who were labelled 'too fat' or 'too old' by the system and therefore didn't fit birth centre guidelines would find their way to me for their maternity care. Those women would birth well and easily; their sense of self and their capacity to birth their babies unimpeded by their size or age.
The one truism that is still evident today is that when women feel strong, centred and confident, they invariably birth well. We also know that where there is a strong, autonomous midwifery profession, birthing women do well. A skilled and competent midwife, who recognises the DNA mediated intelligence of the birthing process and women's capacity/ability to birth, is alert to deviations from normal and refers appropriately. Such a midwife can be just what a woman needs as she provides information and discussion and supports that woman to find and embrace her sense of self and self-empowerment, enabling that woman to birth her baby well in her own unique way. Is it time that midwives were fully supported to practice in a way that enables women to be informed, autonous and self-directing in their pregnancies? Absolutely. It's a human rights issue. A fully informed and supported woman makes the right decisions in the right way, at the right time for her own and her baby's needs.
An article on Freebirthing, published in September 23, 2016, by Claire Feeley, midwife and PhD researcher from the University of Central Lancashire, stated that women were getting fed up with the fear and risk-obsessed maternity care system and were taking their autonomy and control back. Claire's research findings suggest that the rise in freebirthing is because women perceive that doctors and midwives are not listening to women and ignoring their needs. I have been hearing even more about freebirthing recently; more women are taking control over their bodies into their own hands, believing that the lack of respect and kindness coupled with the proliferation of interventions assocated with mainstream maternity care to be more dangerous than giving birth without midwifery or medical support. Midwives are finding their practice increasingly bound by rules, guidelines, protocols and the threat and/or reality of being reported to the regulating body, whose processes are ponderous and have been experienced as soul destroying and emotionally damaging for many. Is this another reason why women are bypassing midwives for their care?
As those of us who've been around for a while know, risk status is a poor predictor of outcome. Women designated with high risk pregnancies by the system often birth well; occasionally, women designated as having 'low risk' pregnancies can end up with all sorts of misadventures. When I was in private practice, women who were labelled 'too fat' or 'too old' by the system and therefore didn't fit birth centre guidelines would find their way to me for their maternity care. Those women would birth well and easily; their sense of self and their capacity to birth their babies unimpeded by their size or age.
The one truism that is still evident today is that when women feel strong, centred and confident, they invariably birth well. We also know that where there is a strong, autonomous midwifery profession, birthing women do well. A skilled and competent midwife, who recognises the DNA mediated intelligence of the birthing process and women's capacity/ability to birth, is alert to deviations from normal and refers appropriately. Such a midwife can be just what a woman needs as she provides information and discussion and supports that woman to find and embrace her sense of self and self-empowerment, enabling that woman to birth her baby well in her own unique way. Is it time that midwives were fully supported to practice in a way that enables women to be informed, autonous and self-directing in their pregnancies? Absolutely. It's a human rights issue. A fully informed and supported woman makes the right decisions in the right way, at the right time for her own and her baby's needs.
