27/03/2020
Some musings from a midwife in the midst of a pandemic...
In the past few weeks, I’ve seen some big changes in the way women are approaching their birthing experiences.
For the first time ever, they’re not afraid of birthing. They’re far more afraid of being in hospitals.
In the past few weeks, I’ve seen more women discharge home within 4 hours than I’ve ever seen before. They’re literally declining pain relief so that there is one less potential for delay in getting out of there. They’re simply birthing, feeding their babies and going home.
Women who have previously formula fed, are going home breastfeeding, and then continuing to breastfeed, because there is so much uncertainty around whether they will be able to consistently access formula for their children.
They’ve had their support crews decimated by necessary hospital visitor limitations, their children aren’t permitted to visit their new sibling, and they’re having to introduce their beautiful new baby to the world via FaceTime and social media.
These are unprecedented times.
In the past few weeks, I’ve seen hospitals mobilise faster than ever before to modify policies, practices and environments in light of risk to patients.
I wonder if it might be a good time to consider incorporating more government supported home birth models into this time of mobilisation?
Healthy women are entering hospitals full of sick people to give birth, and then carrying their tiny new babies back out through the same doors.
They don’t want to be there, but they don’t have a choice.
Consequently, free births at home without a midwife are on the rise.
The risk of being in hospital is now being viewed by women as greater than the risk of birthing without a caregiver.
As a midwife, I find this more than a little bit frightening. Most women don’t WANT to free birth. They simply feel backed into a corner and stripped of choice, which is the complete opposite of what a birthing experience should be.
Midwives are front line workers, no matter where we work, so I’m thinking that maybe it’s time that we start working in the environments where the women feel safest?
I’d be far more comfortable supporting women at home than contending with increased unexpected emergency transfers, discharges against medical advice and knowing that women who might really need us are going it alone out there.
Rysie.
