I spent the day at the home birth conference today. A good day. Inamay Gaskin, the amazing American midwife was there, and spoke twice. She's trying to rescue vaginal birth in the U.S, currently with the help of Ricky Lake and her publicity birth video (people who think this is a publicity stunt on RL's behalf are missing the point - it's a publicity stunt for natural birth, to remind women what their bodies can do).
Inamay was one of the original hippies, who reinvented homebirth - travelling the country in a convoy of converted school buses, delivering babies on instinct, and learning more than any obstetrician knows about women's bodies and the psychology of birth in the process. She fears that US hospitals are pushing for a 100% Section rate, at her birth centre, the Farm, in Tennessee, it's about 1.5%. When she was catching babies in school buses in sub zero temperatures, they had about 250 babies born before the first C Section (for transverse baby) was necessary, and another 300 more before the next...
She's wonderful, grey haired, full of humour. She so reminds me of my mother, with her face shape and Americanness, her humour and her outlook. My mother could have ben her in a different life, I think. I wish she could have gone to see her, she would have loved her.
Another thing she talked about is the hushed up maternal mortality rate in the States, which has not improved in thirty years - in fact it's worsened, and as the country's medical system is run for profit, maternal deaths are effectively hushed up. She has a quilt project with women's names on it, and her stories are tragic and enraging. Caesarean sections are contributing on the rise of the death rate, yet women continue to be sold them as safer options.
We also heard great birth stories, had the tasty tofu curry with dhal from Govinda's for lunch - I failed to win the birth pool (or anything else) in the raffle, for god's sake but I met nice people, old friends, new faces, people I don't know very well, and saw some very lovely homebirth babies! I saw a great hypnobirth video too. The last couple conferences had more packed in, but this seemed more relaxed - I don't know how much information I could have taken!
Bernie from the Committee recognised me from Rollercoaster - and was v complimentary about my posts - which is nice - someone may yet punch me in the face when they find out who I am, I hope that doesn't happen!
In many ways, birth in Ireland is facing a crisis. This seems selfish, but I am so glad I am having my (presumably) last child before they take away the midwives' insurance in September. The wrong-headedness and hostility of the obstetric profession takes my breath away. I fear that if the independent midwives go, more women are going to decide on unassisted birth, which just is not a good option.But I can see why they would.
I hope this is the storm before the calm, and that my daughter will be able to have a beautiful, affirming, positive birth experience. Thank god for the HBA and the work they do, which is nothing short of mighty. When this baby is bigger and things are less hectic, I will join the comittee! For now, I'm just concentrating on a homebirth worth publicising!
1 comment:
Jo, I am fasinated by home birth you are so lucky that you can consider it. I have had my three babies in hospital, I've had high blood pressure on all three. First was awful induction at 36 weeks, epidural, failed ventuse,forceps, baby in distress, baby not breathing and in special care for a few days. My middle babe, my daughter was born by induction 37 weeks, in hospital, no painkillers, three hours, positive experience. My third, my tiny man was born by induction 41 weeks, totally natural, water just broken, lasted sixteen minutes! I have to say labour is hard and delivery is painful but I think it is a positive experience and giving birth in Holles street for the last two times was amazing, I really think it can be something fantastic!
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