Hey Guys,
I noticed you were having your big annual meeting this weekend, so thought I would take the time to share the blog entry I wrote responding to your recent media advisory about unassisted birth.
Dr. LaLonde, you said in an article:

“We think this is something that is really dangerous and irresponsible,” André Lalonde, the group’s executive vice-president, said in an interview yesterday. “Women are dying in Latin America, Asia and Europe because they don’t have skilled attendants for the delivery of their babies. And here in Canada we’re going to move back to this? I don’t think so.”

So my questions is, what do you propose doing to those of us who refuse to enter a hospital to give birth?
Lock us up?
Take our children away?
Put a little ankel bracelet on and put us under house arrest?
Hook us up to an EFM during the final weeks of pregnancy and then send the police out to pick us up when we are in active labor?
A mother in America was recently forced to the hospital with police escort, even though she was nine centermeters dialated and birthing perfectly at home. She was forced to have a second section, because the docs in the US have decided VBAC’s are too dangerous.
Again, what do you mean by the words “I don’t think so”.
Here is my blog post and response.
I suggest we have a nice big healthy debate with full media coverage. I would be happy to engage in that debate with any of you doctors so we could come to a meeting of the minds about DIY birth. We are not going away. We are not going to cave to the pressure to give birth with an attendant. And we claim our female rights of self determination over our own bodies.
The question is, just what exactly are you going to do with us? I’m really curious.
Jenny Hatch
Birth Activist and UC Birth Promoter
I thought since they were having the big annual meeting this weekend, they might like to hear from one of our group. You know, just so they could know exactly what I think of them and their little Media Advisory Notice to the mothers of Canada.
A nice big healthy roaring debate on childbirth would be such a healthy thing for everyone, don’t you all agree???
Jenny Hatch
UPDATE: June 25th, 2007
A response:

“Thank you for your email. Dr. Lalonde will most probably respond after our annual meeting.

Regards,

Geneviève St-Gelais”

Coordinator, Communications and Publications/
Coordonatrice au service des communications et publications
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC)
La Société des obstétriciens et gynécologues du Canada (SOGC)
780 promenade Echo Drive Ottawa, ON K1S 5R7 (Canada)
Tel: 1-800-561-2416 or 1-613-730-4192 ext: 329
Fax: 613-730-4314
E-mail:gstgelais@sogc.com
SOGC Website: http://www.sogc.org