Sunday, August 24, 2008
Lovely wee birth video
Just had to share this one. I love the commentary.Thanks to the health-nut family.
A lovely water birth.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
now I am going to really embarass myself
This is my very first ever attempt at poetry.
Birth
Deep deep in the deep dark night
I feel you stir within me
Not long now
Soon you will leave this warm dark place
And travel through the deep dark night
To arrive
Much loved
In my arms
Deep deep in the deep dark night
It starts, I feel a thrill, a rush
No more guessing and wondering
I know the time has come
Our journey has begun
Keep heart
Keep love
Soon you will arrive
Deep deep in the deep dark night
My thoughts travel
Wondering about this miracle to come
Wondering about this essence of my spirit
Which moves me
And surges on
To new life
Deep deep in the deep dark night
We work together we two
You move and I feel whole
I do not want to let you go
Yet I long to hold you
Come love
Our rhythm moves
We ride the waves
Deep deep in the deep dark night
I lose myself to this experience
This overwhelming flood
This primal sensation
The waves carry me
I am lost
No more
Please come now
Deep deep in the deep dark night
I feel that overwhelming urge
The primal noise erupts from within
Time stands still
As you make your final surge
Towards the light
Towards my love
Into my arms
At last.
Birth
Deep deep in the deep dark night
I feel you stir within me
Not long now
Soon you will leave this warm dark place
And travel through the deep dark night
To arrive
Much loved
In my arms
Deep deep in the deep dark night
It starts, I feel a thrill, a rush
No more guessing and wondering
I know the time has come
Our journey has begun
Keep heart
Keep love
Soon you will arrive
Deep deep in the deep dark night
My thoughts travel
Wondering about this miracle to come
Wondering about this essence of my spirit
Which moves me
And surges on
To new life
Deep deep in the deep dark night
We work together we two
You move and I feel whole
I do not want to let you go
Yet I long to hold you
Come love
Our rhythm moves
We ride the waves
Deep deep in the deep dark night
I lose myself to this experience
This overwhelming flood
This primal sensation
The waves carry me
I am lost
No more
Please come now
Deep deep in the deep dark night
I feel that overwhelming urge
The primal noise erupts from within
Time stands still
As you make your final surge
Towards the light
Towards my love
Into my arms
At last.
Friday, August 8, 2008
The business of being born in Dunedin
At last, after a long wait, I have finally had the opportunity to see this documentary.
On the worst night of the year, wintery showers of sleet and hail we went to Logan Park High school to view this film. There was a fairly small group of us, not surprising due to the weather. None the less enough hardy souls made the effort to cover the costs for the Otago region of the College of Midwives. It was a mixed group with good number of student midwives and midwives from Queen Mary maternity center. A few independent midwives and sprinkling of consumers.
I had a fairly good idea of what to expect from the online discussion that has been generated. I will not go into the details of the film, others have done that much better than I could. I have to say it is very similar to "Giving birth: Challenges and choices" produced by Suzanne Arms in 1998. Marsden Wagner features in both of these films with a very similar message. This new film is longer and more in depth, it is also significantly longer at 1 hour 30 mins as opposed to 35 mins for the Suzanne Arms film. It has more births and stronger historical overview of how America lost midwifery in the first place. Overall the material and the information was not something that is new to me. The benefits of being upright and mobile in labour were highlighted. The importance for no restriction on the pelvic joints was mentioned and the ability of the woman to move through out the birth. The benefit of water was highlighted.
Overall it is a good film but I think for those, like me, who have been involved in the business of birth for a while the information was not new. It has been around for a long time. I think that obstetricians and midwives have heard this all before and they either agree or disagree with the arguments. None the less it is a good to reiterate, and clearly in America the message desperately needs to be heard. The real value in this film is to women who are thinking about birth. It is a shame therefore that there were not more consumers in the audience. It would have been good to have some sort of debate scheduled for the completion of the film to allow us to talk about how this might impact on us and our situation in Dunedin. To talk about what, if any, relevance it had for us. It is also a shame that the film is not more available so that midwives could show it to women. The arguments are valid and well presented, why is it so protected? I understand that the marketing of the film has stimulated interested and created a whole culture around it which I beleive has been having an impact in America, which is great.
The question that remains to be asked is how does this apply for us in New Zealand. We have the most supportive legislation for midwifery care in the world. All women can choose midwifery care for normal birth. One would think that all choices should be available to all women. Any woman should be able to birth at home if she wishes. The benefits of birthing outside of the hospital should be explained to women. All women should be able to birth in water. The benefits of birthing in water should be explained to them. All women should be able to decline obstetric intervention in the absence of clear and apparent medical risks. Most women should be able to birth in the care of a midwife without ever having to see a doctor. If this is the case why is our caesarean section rate so appallingly high, 22.7% in 2002
, (the last available statistic) and would appear to be much higher than this now. What do others think about this. As reported by Paul Kruger in response to the screening of this video in Sydney Australia "The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says there are a range of complex factors to explain the high caesarean rate, including the older age at which women are giving birth, and litigation against doctors". What do you think about this? Does this video have any relevance for us? Or is it only important for women in America?
On the worst night of the year, wintery showers of sleet and hail we went to Logan Park High school to view this film. There was a fairly small group of us, not surprising due to the weather. None the less enough hardy souls made the effort to cover the costs for the Otago region of the College of Midwives. It was a mixed group with good number of student midwives and midwives from Queen Mary maternity center. A few independent midwives and sprinkling of consumers.
I had a fairly good idea of what to expect from the online discussion that has been generated. I will not go into the details of the film, others have done that much better than I could. I have to say it is very similar to "Giving birth: Challenges and choices" produced by Suzanne Arms in 1998. Marsden Wagner features in both of these films with a very similar message. This new film is longer and more in depth, it is also significantly longer at 1 hour 30 mins as opposed to 35 mins for the Suzanne Arms film. It has more births and stronger historical overview of how America lost midwifery in the first place. Overall the material and the information was not something that is new to me. The benefits of being upright and mobile in labour were highlighted. The importance for no restriction on the pelvic joints was mentioned and the ability of the woman to move through out the birth. The benefit of water was highlighted.
Overall it is a good film but I think for those, like me, who have been involved in the business of birth for a while the information was not new. It has been around for a long time. I think that obstetricians and midwives have heard this all before and they either agree or disagree with the arguments. None the less it is a good to reiterate, and clearly in America the message desperately needs to be heard. The real value in this film is to women who are thinking about birth. It is a shame therefore that there were not more consumers in the audience. It would have been good to have some sort of debate scheduled for the completion of the film to allow us to talk about how this might impact on us and our situation in Dunedin. To talk about what, if any, relevance it had for us. It is also a shame that the film is not more available so that midwives could show it to women. The arguments are valid and well presented, why is it so protected? I understand that the marketing of the film has stimulated interested and created a whole culture around it which I beleive has been having an impact in America, which is great.
The question that remains to be asked is how does this apply for us in New Zealand. We have the most supportive legislation for midwifery care in the world. All women can choose midwifery care for normal birth. One would think that all choices should be available to all women. Any woman should be able to birth at home if she wishes. The benefits of birthing outside of the hospital should be explained to women. All women should be able to birth in water. The benefits of birthing in water should be explained to them. All women should be able to decline obstetric intervention in the absence of clear and apparent medical risks. Most women should be able to birth in the care of a midwife without ever having to see a doctor. If this is the case why is our caesarean section rate so appallingly high, 22.7% in 2002
, (the last available statistic) and would appear to be much higher than this now. What do others think about this. As reported by Paul Kruger in response to the screening of this video in Sydney Australia "The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists says there are a range of complex factors to explain the high caesarean rate, including the older age at which women are giving birth, and litigation against doctors". What do you think about this? Does this video have any relevance for us? Or is it only important for women in America?
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