Hi everyone
This is a late response to all of the very thoughtful discussion thus far but
it may be of interest.
Lareen Newman, a PhD researcher at the University of Adelaide and I currently
have a manuscript with a publishing agent in Sydney, Australia with the working
title of --
Better Birth-Increasing the Satisfaction and Reducing the Fear.
So if the agent is a little concerned that there may not be a market for the
book we could provide a little reassurance!
Cheers
Heather

Dr Heather Hancock
Senior Lecturer in Midwifery
School of Nursing and Midwifery
Division of Health Sciences
University of South Australia
Holbrooks Road
Underdale
SA 5032
Telephone 08 8302 6494
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-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: 23/11/2004 4:59 AM
Subject: Re: CS and social pathology

Dear Sue Fenwick

I am in touch with a journalist preparing a TV programme whom I suspect
woudl be interested to know about your work. Please contact Terry
Tydesley on 0207 258 6850 and mention that I passed on the details. She
is very interested in women's experiences and beliefs, normal childbirth
and CS. I briefed her for an hour today. Filming starts in a week or
two.

BW

Mary


Mary Newburn
Head of Policy Research
National Childbirth Trust
Tel: 0870 7703236
Fax: 0870 7703237
Direct - PA/Secretary : Lyn Scott 020 8752 2327
[log in to unmask]
www.nctpregnancyandbabycare.com

-----Original Message-----
From: A forum for discussion on midwifery and reproductive health
research. [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Matt
Fenwick
Sent: 16 November 2004 14:54
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: CS and social pathology


I am currently in the final stages of a qualitative study using Grounded
Theory on women's experience of caesarean section. You may be interested
in some of the key themes to emerge from analysis of the data.
I interviewed first time mothers who had experienced an emergency
caesarean. I also interviewed second time mothers who had either a trial
of labour or an elective CS.

Most of women said that they 'expected the normal' and emergency CS left
them with feelings of disappointment, sometimes anger and feelings of
failure.  Women felt they had missed out on normal birth.  Women in this
study associated 'normal birth' as 'part of being a woman' ; a 'normal
process' and one that they  expected. Birth is seen as a 'rite of
passage'  I have used inverted commas to indicate codes identified in
the data. 'Feelings of failure' were linked to a sense of the 'failing
body' and 'failing as a mother' because they had found caring for a
newborn baby difficult after CS.

Another theme to emerge from the data was that of 'being in control'.
First time mothers who experienced an emergency CS described how they
had lost control over the birth process.  Second time mothers describe
how their experience of previous CS impacts upon their decision making
in a subsequent pregnancy.  Regaining control is an important theme in
this study because women who chose a trial of labour saw this as a way
of regaining control.  However,  women who opted for an elective CS also
saw this as regaining control.  Women who chose to have a CS did so
because they would 'be prepared', it meant 'minimizing uncertainty' and
'avoiding an emergency'.  Women feared going through labour only to end
up with another CS.

Other themes in this study reflect the 'reality of caesarean' and the
impact it has on women's lives. Women describe their interaction with
care givers and others in their kinship network. For example,
Women feel their is a lack of support for women who experience CS from
professionals.  Women are critical of the care they receive on the
postnatal ward.  They feel that midwives forget they have experienced
major abdominal surgery. Some women feel they need for care and
attention but many are too frightened to ask, or don't want to take up
the midwives time. Women have unanswered questions about the decision to
do the CS.    Women also feel they are 'different' from women who have a
normal delivery.  This can lead to a sense of isolation and exclusion
from 'normal mothers'.

It must be said that  all women have a negative view of CS and the care
they received and this is documented in the thesis. In this study women
tell their stories of CS. This provides an insight into the lived
experience of CS and implications for transition to motherhood.

Sue Fenwick