Spectrum 385. A good birth

Rights Information
Year
1981
Reference
21615
Media type
Audio
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Rights Information
Year
1981
Reference
21615
Media type
Audio
Duration
00:29:17
Credits
RNZ Collection
DONNELLY, Joan, Speaker/Kaikōrero
Riley, Stephen, Producer
TWEEDIE, Jan, Speaker/Kaikōrero
WHITE, Sian, Speaker/Kaikōrero

Spectrum was a long-running weekly radio documentary series which captured the essence of New Zealand from 1972 to 2016. Alwyn Owen and Jack Perkins produced the series for many years, creating a valuable library of New Zealand oral history.

In the days before maternity hospitals were established in this country every birth was a home birth. Today, a growing number of women are once again in favour of giving birth at home. Spectrum was present at one such occasion.

This item opens with Doctor Bob Tillerr explaining that the doctor’s role in a home birth is a medical legal requirement, but apart from that, it is mainly as a supportive consultative role.

Despite the availability of sophisticated medical technology and pain relieving drugs the demand for home births is growing. Joan Donnelly had her babies at home in the 1940s and for the last 10 years has been working as a domiciliary midwife.

She explains that in the home environment with a normal delivery, birth happens almost on its own, accompanied by great joy and a heightened awareness that is not present in the the clinical sedated hospital environment.

Midwife Sian White talks about some of the difficulties involved in planning for a home birth. GPs are the legally required primary care provider for expecting mothers so if a woman wants a home birth she must work with her GP to find a suitable midwife. There are no obstetricians involved in home births and there is some opposition to home births by the medical profession.

Since 1974 there have been 1000 home births in New Zealand and every year that number has grown. Sian White believes that major influence in this has been the women’s movement and women’s desire to take greater control over their own bodies.

Not using any type of artificial pain relief means White relies on other resources of emotional support, breathing, baths to help the mother through the labour. Midwives need to be very motivated because the financial rewards are not great and it is a 24 hours 7 days a week job.

Mother-to-be Jan Tweedie talks about what motivates her to have her second birth at home. She wants her whole family to be involved in the process of bringing this new member to the family. Jan believes a home birth is part of the whole cycle of life and gives the mother more responsibility and power in this all important process. Jan, her husband Graeme and midwife Sian are all heard as Jan gives birth to her daughter at home.