The shocking truth about post-natal care
In yet a another draconian measure set to curtail people’s freedom in Britain, the Government is now telling pregnant women – and even those just wishing to conceive – not to touch a drop of alcohol.
This contradicts the Department of Health’s advice, which allows a glass of wine a week for expectant mothers. Similarily, the Royal College of Midwifery has stated “We don’t feel there is anything wrong with having the odd drink.”
In the same week that the Government sends out these mixed messages, a report has been published that says an astonishing fifth of all women do not have a midwife or doctor by their side during their delivery.
A survey of 5,000 mothers also showed high levels of dissatisfaction with post-natal care. Women complained of noisy and crowded conditions on maternity wards where did they did not receive enough attention and support from medical staff.
Such lack of post-natal care was recently highlighted by the tragic case of Jessica Palmer, 35, who died less than a week after giving birth because medical staff repeatedly failed to spot that she had developed blood poisoning.
A judge ordered that the hospital trusts involved pay the family £600,000 in damages. Around 60 per cent of the largest payouts for medical negligence involve women who have suffered injuries while giving birth.
How dare the Government try to regulate women’s bodies with excessively strict rules when they can’t even provide the same women with adequate care at the most crucial time for them and their babies!?
There is no conclusive scientific evidence to warrant a total ban on drinking. It is unclear how many children suffer from foetal alcohol syndrome, since a range of factors can cause brain damage.
Given that around 60 per cent of women have the occasional drink whilst pregnant, the damage caused to unborn babies is certainly nowhere near proven.
What is proven and set out in medical guidelines is that women in labour need continuous care. They don’t need one midwife trying to care for four women giving birth at the same time.
Maternity care is woefully inadequate in this country. Years of under funding and misdirection have let down thousands of women. In many cases, their experience of childbirth has been made horrendously traumatic by the lack of care from overstretched doctors and midwives.
It staggers me that this Government can preach to young women about total abstinence, whilst their own record of looking after mothers and new borns is so shameful.
The Government should get their facts straight about pregnancy and drinking before they start making such drastic rules. A better use of their time would be a serious rethink of how to fund and manage maternity wards.
