What can be done to change the system?

After reading some of the recent threads and reflecting on my own negative c section experience I would love to know what can be done on a personal level to bring about a positive change when it comes to birthing. Living in Darwin there is pretty much stuff all when it comes to birth choice and almost next to nothing in birth education outside a few hospital run pre-birth classes. I would love any suggestions on how to set up a group/education class etc that would provide choice for women in the north. What have you done/know others have done?

I was one of six girls (all friends) who had our children within 2 weeks of each other. All 6 of us had emergency c sections and failed to breastfeed beyond 3 months. We were all told there were 'complications' with our births, we were all told we 'needed' to be induced and we all had issues with breastfeeding. The sad part is we all though we had educated ourselves pretty well but with hind sight we knew nothing really.

This is my opinion on how we have to start making change - we have to stop allowing ourselves to be treated like mushrooms - but that I mean we have to stop being kept in the dark and fed **** by those who are supposed to have OUR best interests in heart. Only then will we start to take back some of the power. We have to stop accepting the same old lines we are told that our bodies cannot birth because of big babies, because of GD, because our 10th cousin had a small pelvis. We have to start asking WHY? when we are being every so slyly coerced into birthing in a way that is more suitable to THEM. We also have to learn that it is OK to refuse intervention.

I think we also have to start holding Obs to account when the planned induction or c/s for whatever vague reason actually proves they were wrong in doing it.

Finally we have to realise that WE are paying THEIR bills - they are essentially EMPLOYED by us for the duration of our pregnancies to take care of us. If you got someone to build your house and they screwed it up, you wouldn't accept that because at the end of the day you still have a house - would you?

Macca from memory there's a pretty active Homebirth Association in Darwin. There is also an independent birth education organisation (sorry I just can't remember for the life of my what it is called) which has an office near Casuarina. I'm sure the homebirth assoc ladies would be able to hook you into whatever active birth resources are available in the Top End. If you're having trouble finding the homebirthers get in touch with some of the Steiner playgroup ladies as some of them are members of both groups.

I hear you though, to me it's a real concern that women living in regional areas have no choice and often little access to information about what choices might even be available out there. Often in bigger centres it IS possible to fight for what you want on an individual basis, within the system, starting with choice of doctors, midwives or birthing place. Whereas in regional areas there's often only one place, with one set of staff, who themselves have not been exposed to current, enlightened birthing practices due to their own isolation.

I think at a grassroots level we can all help each other by talking about our own experiences, in an honest, empowered, reflective way, by telling other women about the information and the choices that we have made. I think BB is a wonderful tool for this sort of information sharing, and I'm sure there must be hundreds of women who have benefitted from the sharing of information and experiences that happens here.

There are "very active" and "active" things we can do to change the system. I think one of the simplest and easiest (and probably the slowest in terms of effect on the system - I'll acknowledge that) is to influence those people around you. If we talk, talk and talk some more to the women, men and children in our lives, educating them and encouraging them to seek information and alternatives, the demand WILL change.

I think with the people in our lives we can do this by just presenting information, stats and facts and taking a gently gently approach.

I know that the situation is urgent and I know some people need to be beaten around the head with a big bat in order for the message to get through :). However, I think change comes from the grass roots level and by providing positive encouragement and factual information to those around us (especially women) I think we can change this for our daughters.

There is nothing more important then to get the message out there - in your workplace, in your homes, in your families. Let people know that it can be different.

I am being too soft?

Thanks