"As Long as the Baby is Healthy" - Part 2

07/14/17 • 27 min

We all want a healthy baby, there's no question of that, but Sally believes there are underlying beliefs to the common phrase "As long as the baby is healthy" that deserve closer examination. Are we giving up elements of birth that are more important than we realise when we say this?
Sally has identified 6 underlying beliefs to the statement "As long as the baby is healthy". The first three underlying beliefs were covered in Part 1:
http://www.spreaker.com/user/pregnancybirthandbeyond/as-long-as-the-baby-is-healthy-part-1
In this episode, part 2, Sally covers the following underlying beliefs:
* “Birth is dangerous and needs to be managed medically. Positive births are due to luck.”
* “Labour and birth are simply painful, pointless torture."
* “My experience is irrelevant and people who seek a positive experience are selfish and exposing the baby to risk.”
SPEAKERS
Dr Kirsten Small, obstetrician and PhD candidate
Professor Alec Welsh, University of NSW and obstetrician at Royal Hospital for Women, Sydney
Dr Sarah Buckley, GP, author and researcher on physiological birth
FURTHER READING
* Dignity in Birth Survey: Safe Motherhood for All
http://www.safemotherhoodforall.org.au/news/only-58-of-australian-women-have-the-birth-they-want/
* Film: "Microbirth": importance of labour and birth
http://microbirth.com/
INFORMATION AND SUPPORT:
* PANDA National Helpline (Perinatal Anxiety Depression Awareness)
Mon to Fri, 10am - 5pm AEST
1300 726 306
* Birth Talk: Resources for healing from birth
www.birthtalk.org/
* Conscious Birth: Birth Story Healing, no matter how long ago
www.consciousbirth.com/birth-story-healing/
* Birth choices advice and advocacy: Maternity Choices Australia
www.maternitychoices.org.au and Facebook
REFERENCES
* https://theconversation.com/factcheck-is-suicide-one-of-the-leading-causes-of-maternal-death-in-australia-65336
* http://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/why-is-the-fear-of-birth-rising/
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_infant_mortality_rate
* http://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/mortality-risk
* https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Standard2_Oct_2012_WEB.pdf
* “The Global Numbers and Costs of Additionally Needed and Unnecessary Caesarean Sections Performed per Year: Overuse as a Barrier to Universal Coverage” World Health Organisation 2010
* https://bmcpregnancychildbirth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12884-017-1343-3 (meaning of labour pain)
cochrane.org/CD004667/PREG_midwife-led-continuity-models-care-compared-other-models-care-women-during-pregnancy-birth-and-early
* Homer, CSE, MJA 205 (8) j 17 October 2016 "Models of maternity care: evidence for
midwifery continuity of care"
* http://www.peptonicmedical.se/about-peptonic/kerstin-uvnas-moberg/ (oxytocin research and impacts of pain medication on oxytocin production)
* http://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/why-is-the-fear-of-birth-rising/
* https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22734617 (fear of childbirth and duration of labour)
* http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/bmjopen/3/11/e004047.full.pdf (links between fear of birth and depression)
* https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18771508 (maternal response to own baby cry affected by c/s delivery
*

Previous Episode

The emotional side of fertility issues

When you want something, that for many is fundamental to their human existence, a biological drive, to carry a baby and nurture a baby... to raise a family, it can be emotionally devastating for a couple or individual when despite all the attempts, falling pregnant or keeping a pregnancy just isn't happening.
One in six couples in Australia and NZ experience infertility. The infertility lies equally with both men and women 40% each, 10% in both partners and the other 10% is unknown. Age does play a role in fertility issues, couples in their 20's have a 25% chance of falling pregnant whereas one in three women over the age of 35 experience infertility issues and once she reaches 40, women have only a 5% chance of falling pregnant with regular sexual activity.
This episode of Pregnancy Birth and Beyond we shine a light on the often silent yet emmotionally painful topic of infertility, from the personal account of my guest to her professional insights working with women and families experiencing the grief of not falling pregnant when wanting a baby.
My guest for this episode is Kimberly Lipschus who is a women's wellbeing and fertility psychotherapist.
Producer Lara Martin
Guest Kimberly Lipschus www.kimberleylipschus.com

Next Episode

New baby? Call in the village.

Jayne Alder, midwife, mother and grandmother, speaks about the three main issues new mother struggle with:
sleeping, feeding and thinking they have to be super mum.
But it really does take a village to raise a child, especially a new baby. New mothers are making the biggest transition of their lives and they deserve lots of support. Don't shy from asking for help. You are not meant to do it on your own.
And you won't struggle as much with your baby being unsettled, not having enough milk or not getting enough sleep.
And remember: "You are doing a wonderful job. You know what to do. Your baby wants you to be his mother." - Jayne Alder.
www.jaynealder.com
Produced and presented by Sally Cusack.
Copyright PBB Media and Sally Cusack 2017.
www.pbbmedia.org