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Dana, I agree that the perception of what this woman is saying should be clarified. However, as you compose the response, think about her enthusiasm and bring up whether some of that is related to her experience of the process of birth being treated as a "normal" life event. Hunt & Symonds (The Social Meaning of Midwifery) have a great discussion of tea, almost as a care process, which puts it in perspective, but it is generally unheard of in the USA. If you can, could you give us all the Times reference. Thanks! Holly Powell Kennedy, CNM, PhD, FACNM Assistant Professor and Co-Director, Nurse-Midwifery Program Department of Family Health Care Nursing, N-411Y UCSF School of Nursing 2 Koret Way San Francisco, CA 94143-0606 Phone (415) 476-0335 Fax (415) 753-2161 ____________________Reply Separator____________________ Subject: Re: basic stats Author: <[log in to unmask]> Date: 12/6/01 8:20 AM Dear list I am composing a letter to the New York Times in response to a column written by an American woman proclaiming that what made having a baby so great in England was chats and tea drinking postpartum with midwives!!!!!! She seems to have had a doctor attend her in labor, and metions how relaxed and easygoing all the "doctors and nurses were". !!!!!!!!!!!! Missing the point shall we say .... Does anyone know where I can find updated stats on the percentage of births attended by midwives in the UK and the infant mortality rate? I want to throw in some broad statements about the much worse morbidity/mortality rate in this country. In New York City this year midwives attended 1 in 10 births. It is, as you all know, no joke, that midwifery is still not understood in this country. Thanks Dana Sidney, RM (UK), CNM (US)