Midwifery

Press, 20 June 1985, Page 12

Midwifery

Sir,—lt is surely time the mothers in the community stood up for their own rights and supported the midwives. Do they wish future children to be cared for through labour and possibly be delivered by nurses with only an obstetric certificate who will have assisted only at one or two births? These nurses have no midwifery experience at all. Can one imagine the mistakes and possible disasters? We must voice our opinions as women and as mothers. We cannot allow other people to make vast changes in women’s care.—Yours, etc., DONNA KENNY. June 17, 1985.

Sir,—The midwives of New Zealand deserve every support in their efforts to improve their training and retain their essential place in the obstetric system. All women must have the right to chodse the place and type of birth they want for their babies, and I believe that the best chance women have to do this is with the caring support of well-trained midwives. They have the time and expertise to encourage and allow women to give birth in their own time and fashion and to be active birth-givers, hot passive patients. If we do not want our obstetric services to follow the trends of other countries, such as the United States, where doctors and obstetricians and therefore technological interventions dominate, sometimes totally excluding midwives, we must make it clear the kind of service we as consumers, do want.—Yours, etc., ALISON LOCKE, Co-ordinator, Christchurch Home Birth Association. June 16, 1985.