I don't know how I got this, but I'm passing it on.
-----Original Message-----
From: Michel Odent [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 02 September 2011 17:25
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists and silent knitting midwives.
The Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists recently came to
the conclusion that too many babies are born in hospitals. In other
words, according to the College, it would be beneficial to increase
the number of out-of-hospital births
(www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14145862). This would lead to a radical
rethink of the selection and education of midwives. Outside hospitals,
where women must rely entirely on the release of their natural
hormones, the main preoccupation should be to protect the involuntary
process of birth against situations that can inhibit it. Modern
physiology can identify such situations, particularly those associated
with a release of adrenaline, and those that stimulate the neocortex
(the part of the brain highly developed among humans only).
The time is therefore ripe to underline the historical significance of
one of the 27 workshops offered during the Mid-Pacific Conference on
Birth and Primal Health Research (Honolulu. October 26-28, 2012). It
will be called 'The silent knitting session'. The participants will
realise at which point a repetitive task such as knitting (or, in
Hawaii, making a wreath of flowers to be draped around the neck, for
example) is an effective way to reduce the levels of adrenaline. Since
the release of adrenaline is highly contagious, the main
preoccupation of an authentic midwife, after the paradigm shift, will
be to maintain her own level of adrenaline as low as possible when she
is close to a labouring woman. Midwives of the future will also need
to train themselves to remain silent, since language is the most
powerful stimulant of the neocortex. The silent knitting session will
be a necessary step towards an understanding of what authentic
midwifery is. We present it as the symbol of a vital new phase in the
history of childbirth and midwifery.
How to bring as many British midwives as possible to Honolulu? All
suggestions are welcome. Contact [log in to unmask] after
exploring www.wombecology.com.
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