Birth: the forgotten feminist issue – Details, episodes & analysis

Dr Heather Mattner, psychologist and midwife, joins me to discuss birth trauma. Studies suggest one third of women experience birth trauma. In the current maternity system, she believes 100% of birthing women are experiencing birth trauma. We discuss symptoms, prevention, the overall maternity system, previous trauma's impact on birth trauma and what women and the system can do to reduce birth trauma. Heather says: Birth trauma is preventable harm. And, birth trauma does not favour/disfavour any women regardless of age, culture, spirituality, religion, parity, gestation, intellectualism, status etc etc. That in itself is probably evidence enough to say it is a systemic issue against women - all gestational women.

Dr Heather Matter's qualifications: 

Perinatal Health Psychologist 

PANDA Clinical Champion

Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer (Psychology)

The University of Adelaide

heather.mattner@adelaide.edu.au

In this episode, Dr Rachel Reed and I, discuss the all too common "diagnosis" of Gestational Diabetes, and how this affects a woman's treatment pathway, often leading to induction, women being treated as a source of risk for their baby, and the cascade of intervention. Rachel explains how so many women have come to be diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, why else we're seeing so many women having an induction of labour, medical risk, and birth trauma. We discuss the ceremonial practice of birth, the "identity crisis" midwives are currently going through, and why birth is the forgotten feminist issue. 

You can read more from Rachel at her blog midwifethinking: MidwifeThinking

Her recent books are: Why Induction Matters and Reclaiming Childbirth as a Rite of Passage

She also co-hosts the podcast The Midwives' Cauldron 

You can see Dr Rachel Reed formerly from USC’s School of Nursing and Midwifery was interviewed for Birth Time: The Documentary. She states:

“In Australia we have a heavily medicalised maternity system that leads to a lot of interventions for women, many of whom do not particularly want or need them,” said the Senior Lecturer in Midwifery.

“There have been reports of coercion and manipulation. Often, it’s not done intentionally – rather more as an attempt to mitigate medical risk. But what is not counted is the emotional risks facing women if they experience disrespectful care.

“Birth trauma is not about how a woman births. It’s about how she was treated during birth. There’s more to trauma than a physically traumatic experience.”

Dr Hazel Keedle is a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) woman, midwife, researcher and is very passionate about research in the space of women's experience of birth. She helped design and publish the Birth Experience Study (BESt) in collaboration with the Birth Time documentary. This survey currently has over 6050 submissions- Australia's biggest birth experience survey. We discuss the results of her research survey of VBAC women and the 4 areas women "scored" their experiences by. We also discuss the trends of the current survey AND the much needed funding required to ensure our most vulnerable groups are heard (need translations). More info on the survey here: https://surveyswesternsydney.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_d7lb1dyOczveOxw and the Go Fund me page: https://gofund.me/59d153df

Bruce spent 17 years lobbying for maternity improvements. He was involved in the National Maternity Action Plan- a plan involving partnership between consumers and midwives to lobby for change including more access to continuity of midwifery carer in a woman's place of choice. He is a past President of Maternity Coalition- both nationally and in the state of Queensland. Bruce lives at Mount Glorious near Brisbane. Link to the National Maternity Action Plan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Maternity_Action_Plan and here: https://web.archive.org/web/20070329214948/http://www.birthinternational.com/nmap/index.html

Dr Robyn Thompson has a midwifery career of over 50 years. She foundered The Thompson Method breastfeeding support for women. In her extensive career, both in hospital and at home she discusses the institutionalisation and mechanicalisation of pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding.

Associate Professor Emily Callander speaks about the high cost of the maternity system, and how the activity based funding and segregation of funding continues to ignore what women need and addressing inequities in the maternity system. 

More information about Emily here: https://research.monash.edu/en/persons/emily-callander

Some of her research: 

https://www.womenandbirth.org/article/S1871-5192(19)30696-1/abstract

https://www.publish.csiro.au/ah/Fulltext/ah18209

This is part 2 of my birth stories. Ep. 16 covers my 1st and 2nd birth. The last 3 births were birth centre and homebirths. All with private midwives. Birth 3 and 4 were unassisted births due to precipitous labours.

My own birth journeys set me on a new direction- advocacy and childbirth education. In this episode I retell my birth journeys for my first and second.

Lizzie Carroll is one of Australia's most well-known VBAC mentors. She is a doula, childbirth educator, admin of the VBAC Support Group and personal VBAC mentor for women all over the country. http://www.lizziecarroll.com.au/musings--more https://www.facebook.com/groups/342851302473349/?ref=share

Professor Nicky Leap is currently the Adjunct Professor of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing Midwifery and Health UTS Visiting Professor, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kings College, London 2010-2012 International Francine Gooris Chair for Midwifery, University College Arteveldehoge school, Ghent, Belgium.   

Nicky went into midwifery as she saw it as a ultimate feminist issue. We discuss midwives role in ensuring birth isn't the forgotten feminist issue. 

For over twenty-five years, Nicky has worked across midwifery research, education and practice in both the UK and Australia. She was integrally involved in the development and implementation of the Australian Bachelor of Midwifery programs in South Australia and at UTS and has had a leadership role in developing national standards for midwifery education and practice in Australia. Nicky has played a pivotal role in both Australia and the UK in the development and evaluation of midwifery continuity of care models, including the implementation of NSW's first publicly funded homebirth program.   Nicky led a two year pilot study to develop, implement and test Centering Pregnancy, an innovative program combining antenatal care, education and support for pregnant women in small groups. Nicky was the Professor of Midwifery Practice Development and Research for South East Sydney and Illawarra Area Health Service from 2006 - 2010 (Director of Midwifery Practice 2002 - 2006 in the same area health service)Nicky completed her Professional Doctorate in Midwifery at UTS, her dissertation examining the role and culture of rhetorical innovations and intentional strategies in the development of Australian midwifery. Nicky has held a visiting researcher position at Kings College London since 2005.

Some of Nicky's published work:

https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/handle/10453/17562

https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/handle/10453/127727