Groceries in exchange for mothers support?

28 November 2007

Groceries in exchange for mothers support?

Once more we see both woman and her family denigrated by the lack of empathy for the immediate post natal needs of mother and child following birth. There are a number of exceptional reasons why women and their babies may benefit from a prolonged stay in hospital after giving birth to their child. The 6 Hours being mooted by CCDHB simply doesn’t fit the bill!

There will always be women who have a strong desire to leave hospital and that is absolutely their choice. By Capital and Coast Health determining that just because a women and her baby are “clinically” fit to leave hospital once again misses the point!

The majority of women birth without major complications, birth is a normal physiological process. The stresses and strains of life in NZ these days are not. By an early discharge such as this we ignore the importance of the non clinical need at a time when all research substantiates early emotional support to be the most critical component in establishing effective parenting.

Statistics show she will most likely by necessity be forced back into the workforce as early as 12 weeks after the birth of her baby. The price of the grocery voucher that apparently is being offered to facilitate an early discharge can’t in any way compensate for the valuable post birth window of opportunity to attach, bond and nurture our babies without all of the external pressures on a woman and her family when she returns back to her home.

Too often we are seeing “down the track” deficit based intervention in our families by necessity. The support and care is needed pre and post birth.

ENDS

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