The College Responds

Well, I asked where the response was from our college: It was there, out there, but hidden away on back pages, not making it to the internet lists of headlines, certainly not on the fromt pages of our papers. I know not many people read here, but maybe, somehow, this will help to spread the word.

The following media releases are a good start:
Midwifery care is safe
Dominion Post Rebuttal
Sally speaks


But are they enough? No, because they are not seen, except by us, and our supporters: How do we get the media to accept that we are safe, and reasonable, and responsible professional practitioners? We are not crazy hipy's attending births in secret and fear: Midwives globally are not the witches and baby killers we are made out to be. Not here, not in America, not in the UK (I would link to Agatha, but she has been chased out of blogging, by breaking the "rules" which say you can't mention a problem in public without getting shut down! NOTE: Agathat did not break any rules, but readers will know that her blog has gone. This is because she was accused of breaching the same rules referred to in the linked article. I read her blog avidly, and did not see her bringing the profession into disrepute, or being unprofessional, nor breaching patient rights: she just argued for change. Apparently, censorship is OK if you are the NMC, regardless of your members opinions!) any of the places we are still fighting to be treated as normal professional human beings!

Karen says in her article in yesterdays dominion post: We are saying enough is enough.

We support and believe in women's right to seek an investigation into events, and answers to their questions, but that DOES NOT make all midwives answerable for the actions of one. We do not accept that this should be done through the media in a blatant show of sensationalism not applied to any other medical dispute. We say NO to the idea that a midwife be tried in the media, instead of through the appropriate and LEGAL process developed by government for ALL health care practitioners to be mediated. We will NOT be accused of being unsafe and dangerous by people with no knowledge or basic understanding of who we are, what our job is and what our training entails.

Midwives of the world, we face the same fights: It comes in different forms, but the fight is the same. And we fight it because we dare to be women, working mainly for and with other women. Let's do this together! what works for one, can be held up to all as an example... and at the end of the day, midwifery improves outcomes and saves lives. Lets shout that to the rooftops, as loud as we can.