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24 Educators providing ECTA courses

Expectancy - complementary therapy courses for midwives

expectancy - complementary therapy courses for midwives

Derbyshire

Yet again, mainstream media has sensationalised what they perceive as “witchcraft” – the use of “alternative” therapies by midwives. The Sunday Times has now waded into the melee, castigating midwives’ use of aromatherapy, acupuncture, reflexology and “burning herbs to turn a breech baby” (moxibustion). The article by Health Editor Shaun Lintern also denigrates practices which are not classified as complementary therapies, such as water injections for pain relief, hypnobirthing for birth preparation and counselling sessions following traumatic birth. Some of the accusations focus on their (inaccurate) statement about the lack of complementary therapy research, whilst others deplore trusts charging for some of these services. A letter to the Chief Executive of the NHS has been sent by a group of families whose babies have died in maternity units that have now come under scrutiny from the Care Quality Commission and the Ockenden team. Amongst those spearheading this group is a consultant physician whose baby died during birth (unrelated to complementary therapies) and who has taken it on himself to challenge the NHS on all matters pertaining to safety in maternity care. That is admirable – safety is paramount – but it is obvious neither he, nor the author of this latest article, knows anything at all about the vast subject of complementary therapies in pregnancy and birth. The article is padded out with (incorrect) statistics about midwives’ use of complementary therapies, coupled with several pleas for the NHS to ban care that they say (incorrectly) is not evidence-based and which contravene NICE guidelines (the relevant word here being guidelines, not directives). The article is biased and, to my knowledge, no authority on the subject has been consulted to provide a balanced view (the Royal College of Midwives offered a generic response but did not consult me, despite being appointed a Fellow of the RCM specifically for my 40 years’ expertise in this subject). I would be the first to emphasise that complementary therapies must be safe and, where possible, evidence-based, and I am well aware that there have been situations where midwives have overstepped the boundaries of safety in respect of therapies such as aromatherapy. However, I have not spent almost my entire career educating midwives (not just providing skills training) and emphasising that complementary therapy use must be based on a comprehensive theoretical understanding, to have it snatched away because of a few ill-informed campaigners intent on medicalising pregnancy and birth even further than it is already. For well-respected broadsheets to publish such inaccurate and biased sensationalism only serves to highlight the problems of the British media and the ways in which it influences public opinion with untruths and poorly informed reporting.

Spectacular Woman

spectacular woman

I am Victoria Griffith and I wanted to share my excitement about this forum for women and to also let you know a little bit about myself so that you realize that I understand where you are coming from. I am one of you. As a domestic violence survivor, I went through the mental and physical challenges that each of us go through and my struggle took me to the dark places. As a teenager, I felt that sense of disconnect and doubt but my journey led me to the other side where I was able to overcome and heal. My goal is to let you know that there is hope and through patience and focus, you can believe in yourself, let go of self-doubt and take charge of your life again. Working together, I will take your hand and walk you through the process of releasing the fears and insecurities and begin the discovery of awakening your confidence and passion again. I believe that you deserve to be empowered and I can show you the path that can take you there. I will not let you down in your faith and trust in me. I am a mother, transformational life skills strategist, author, consultant, inspirational speaker, survivor of domestic violence, school governor and founder and CEO of Spectacular Woman. My personal road has led me to that sense of well-being and I have found my purpose. Working with women within these realms, I have seen wonderful things happen. Many have escaped the barriers to become the incredible individuals that they were meant to be, achieving their dreams, moving forward with promotions, careers and love. I created Spectacular Woman as a combination safe place, with carefully crafted inspirational and empowering networks and programs. Our shared experiences have given me the chance to see that many have limited beliefs and lack self-worth and confidence. My mission is to unlock as well as unblock these limitations so that you become energized in your life and take the action steps that will give you the ability to fulfill your complete potential. As a result of the many relationships and successes, I established the Spectacular Woman Club. This is a shared place where everyone feels safe, secure, and supported as they make their personal journeys. Our club amplifies, transforms and equips each woman so that they feel empowered to make the changes they want in their lives to achieve their ultimate goals for every life aspect. I have devoted many years working as a lecturer of Social Policy in the secondary school and further education system areas. Having spent thirteen years in the Criminal Justice System, including the Youth Offending Team, I have a unique perspective as well as compassion. I was privileged to work with the Women’s Victim Support Unit, working closely with women who were victims of domestic violence. In my local community, I organized conferences on domestic violence and also facilitated parenting support for parents with challenging teenagers. This background allowed me to develop and deliver the Live Wise TeenDV SRE Preventative Program for Teenagers on the topic of healthy relationships in secondary schools and within my local community.