Comments on: More local babies born in off island hospitals http://www.gulfislands.net/wordpress/more-local-babies-born-in-off-island-hospitals/ Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:24:28 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Amy Geddes http://www.gulfislands.net/wordpress/more-local-babies-born-in-off-island-hospitals/comment-page-1/#comment-109 Amy Geddes Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:14:48 +0000 http://www.gulfislands.net/wordpress/?p=714#comment-109 Thank you for pointing out how there was a misunderstanding here. Saying that "...contrary to popular belief, in-hospital births are favoured..." was an erroneous assumption of preference on my part. As the health nurse interviewed later clarified, Salt Spring women who end up giving birth in off-island hospitals do not "choose" a physician over a midwife -- women often end up at off-island hospitals due to delivery complications. Thank you for pointing out how there was a misunderstanding here. Saying that “…contrary to popular belief, in-hospital births are favoured…” was an erroneous assumption of preference on my part. As the health nurse interviewed later clarified, Salt Spring women who end up giving birth in off-island hospitals do not “choose” a physician over a midwife — women often end up at off-island hospitals due to delivery complications.

]]> By: Rose Alkoff-Drost http://www.gulfislands.net/wordpress/more-local-babies-born-in-off-island-hospitals/comment-page-1/#comment-108 Rose Alkoff-Drost Wed, 03 Feb 2010 01:06:23 +0000 http://www.gulfislands.net/wordpress/?p=714#comment-108 In regards to your published column on Island births (Driftwood Jan 27 2010) – Your article stated that “In-hospital births were favoured over home births” and went on to quote local health nurses explanation for this to be that mothers wanted a physician rather than a midwife to deliver their babies. In support of midwife attended island births, I would like to gently point out that the figures you present only show the _number_ of births in the various locations. They DO NOT show women’s preference for birth location, or birth attendant, nor do they indicate where the births began!! Medical circumstances (near the last minute) precluded our 2009 preference for an at-home, midwife-attended island birth. While I fully applaud and appreciate the wonderful care received at Vic General and the well-judged “transfer orders” from our midwife, I would not want our birth “statistic” to be part of an erroneous conclusion that we chose a physician led hospital birth over a midwife-assisted one!!! Thank you! : ) In regards to your published column on Island births (Driftwood Jan 27 2010) –

Your article stated that “In-hospital births were favoured over home births” and went on to quote local health nurses explanation for this to be that mothers wanted a physician rather than a midwife to deliver their babies.

In support of midwife attended island births, I would like to gently point out that the figures you present only show the _number_ of births in the various locations. They DO NOT show women’s preference for birth location, or birth attendant, nor do they indicate where the births began!!

Medical circumstances (near the last minute) precluded our 2009 preference for an at-home, midwife-attended island birth. While I fully applaud and appreciate the wonderful care received at Vic General and the well-judged “transfer orders” from our midwife, I would not want our birth “statistic” to be part of an erroneous conclusion that we chose a physician led hospital birth over a midwife-assisted one!!!

Thank you!

: )

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