October 30, 2003

Italian water birth Conference Part 2

The second day at the Water Birth Conference provided a contrast with the first day’s program. The morning session included presentations by Susanna Houd and Marsden Wagner, also Piera Maghella ( who described the aquanatal program that forms part of her work) and Sylvia Franzetti, a paediatrician from Argentina who gave an excellent summary of the myths and realities of epidurals.

Susanna Houd is someone I have been wanting to meet for many years. She is a Danish midwife, who has acted as a consultant for the WHO on a number of midwifery projects, including the three Consensus Conferences that underpin the WHO Recommendations on appropriate care in pregnancy, birth and the post partum period. She was also involved in setting up the new Canadian midwifery education program and for the past four years she has completely overhauled the Danish midwifery education system. At the end of the year she is leaving her post as Head of the Danish midwifery school to take up a job as a midwife in Greenland, working with the Inuit midwives. She is a real midwife - warm, caring, experienced and very open to women and their needs. She has never visited Australia, so I have rectified this with an invitation to join the next Future Birth tour in March 2005. I know everyone will enjoy her practical approach and fascinating insights into birth. Something to look forward to!

Marsden Wagner gave one of his rousing speeches, highlighting the escalating caesarean section rate in Italy ( around 37%) and the preponderance of episiotomy. Not many western countries have a rate of episiotomy of 70%, with the exception of Spain (which is higher) so this was an important talking point. I always enjoy Marsden’s fiery presentations and appreciate his unwillingness to side with the doctors on any issue whatsoever. This is a rare stance in a doctor - every other doctor I have very met will support their colleagues if really pushed, but not Marsden!

One advantage of speaking internationally is the opportunity to catch up with new videos, meet new people and make lots of contacts. I have discovered a fabulous new video that will be appearing on our list as soon as we can get it organised (watch this space!!). I also found that the Italian edition of my book “The Midwife Companion” is a best seller and I had nice feedback from midwives about its usefulness, just as I have had in Britain and Australia.

Piera Maghella is an amazing childbirth educator who, over the past 25 years, has made an enormous contribution to Italian midwifery and the efforts to humanise birth in Italy. My presentation at the Conference was titled “Empowering Women” and I gave Piera as an example of an empowered woman of whom they could be very proud. I am looking forward to working with her again next year as we present some workshops. Again, watch this space, for details as they are finalised in November.

Now that the Conference is over, I am taking three days off in Florence, to re-charge my batteries before heading home to Sydney at the end of the month.

Posted by andrea at October 30, 2003 09:43 PM

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