this and that from Aus

[Guest guest]

Hey I've been enjoying reading your postings. Things aren't that different

on the other side to the world. I used to work in a maternity unit that

delivers 150 babies a month. Just to re-introduce our system here... we

are all midwives who are qualified to do all the care from antenatal to

discharge home, with just one or two visits to the Dr antenatally and to be

seen once prior to discharge for the low-risk women.

We rate some of our more charming clientele on their tats to teeth ratio

(tats = tattoos).

Birthing isn't nearly as high tech here (we only have 5 (total) IV

pumps!). There is a fairly strong consumer movement to keep birth normal,

but we certainly have our fair share of women who don't expect to feel a

twinge.

Consumers seem to drive the medical profession. The most stressful

patients I think are the multis who come in demanding the epidural, with a

thin stretchy cervix and you know they they will be delivered in an

hour. You try to put them off, but feel so guilty about it. You try to

tell them they really won't need it, but they insist they will. The last

one I had like that I had everything set up, anaesthetist ready to go and,

of course, she delivered. I was stressed to the max trying to look after

her knowing she was in transition, the anaesthetist was annoyed (I should

have known he wouldn't be needed, which I did), I hadn't done good care of

the mother because i was so busy running around getting the epidrual

organised.... and she has the cheek to turn to me all smiles and say " That

was wonderful - i didn't need any thing for the pain " - she very nearly

did soon after making that statement :-)

After 20 odd years of midwifery I too am burnt out. I still love the work,

but I think it was finally the shift work that got to me. I've now moved

into lactation consulting and education. I developed a course for health

professionals which is delivered on the Internet on lactation and

breastfeeding and have students from around the world doing it now - many

of them wanting to become lactation consultants. (That was a bit of

self-promotion I admit, but then I'll be quite happy to be Gay-Maries first

clinical psychology patient when she sets up practice - she sounds like my

kind of person - and I'll need her again by then I'm sure).

I'd love you to go look at my course and tell your work mates about

it. I've had nothing but praise about it from the ob nurses, LCs, midwives

and child health nurses who have done and am very proud of

it. http://www.BreastEd.com.au

Look after yourselves, and keep laughing

Brisbane, Australia

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Fisher BN RN RM IBCLC

BreastEd Online Lactation Studies Courses

Internet-delivered courses for Health Professionals

mailto:denise@...

http://www.BreastEd.com.au

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