interesting article in today's Guardian about changing childbirth

[Harpsichordcarrier]

\link{http://www.guardian.co.uk/family/story/0,,1768695,00.html\and about the NCT campaigns}

[Greensleeves]

Fascinating article. God, I'm glad I wasn't having children in the 50s

[Harpsichordcarrier]

I know - horrible :(
my mum had four home births and they made her go into hospital with me because she was old (nearly 40 ) and she is stiall scarred by it 36 years later - the enema and the shaving and the brutality and taking her baby away...
and being told off for picking her baby up!
and that she was bf too often...
what should we be campaigning about now, though?
one woman, one midwife?
more home births?

[Flamesparrow]

My dad is still upset that he was whisked out of the room because I was breach and it was too complictaed for him to stay apparantly.

One mother, one midwife is definately the campaign for now - I had a lovely midwife that I saw for most of my pregnancy this time, and she came on shift 2 hours too late to catch my baby :(

Home births scare people still - so really we need more information about them, so that people can make an educated choice about where they want their baby. More midwife led units would be good - DD was born in a midwife led unit, and it was lovely.

[Harpsichordcarrier]

about the lovely midwife being too late
yes, more birth units and make them lovely I say - double beds and private rooms and lovely big baths and sod the expense
and and a nice conservatory/garden to sit in and bf
and lots of natural light
oooh what else

[FrannyandZooey]

M+S white chocolate covered strawberries on tap

[FrannyandZooey]

A library full of books by Dr Sears and that chappie you like HC

An army of trained young men to massage us

A hairdresser and manicurist visiting each bed

[Greensleeves]

treasure baskets for the babies
free jukebox in the delivery room
foot massage for labouring mothers

[Flamesparrow]

I like the juke box idea!! DS was born to whatever was on sky one (or sky mix?) at 7.45 on a Friday morning . I'd been watching Angel as the pains suddenly got more, and the tv was never turned off!

Lovely midwife did get to come do the check later that day, and the one I had wasn't evil (well, she was mean cos she thought I was just useless with pain and tried to ration my g&a thinking we had many hours ahead of us... 45 mins later a baby was born - she did apologise!!).

My sister was born in a nursing home, and my mum says it was lovely - gorgeous garden views. Fathers being allowed to stay o/n in hospital and private rooms would be good - my main reason for a homebirth was that I was so desperately lonely last time.

[hannahsaunt]

We have one woman, one midwife in Aberdeen and it's fantastic. You aren't alone for a second - if it's their break time or they need the loo (for e.g.) then another m/w comes, is briefed and takes over for the period the primary midwife is away. Still runs on a shift system so you may have more than midwife over the duration (thankfully as really didn't like the first m/w with ds2 and the second was an absolute dream m/w who knew more about what I wanted than I did!). Definitely something worth campaigning for elsewhere.