"The active management of labor necessitates that obstetricians take over , not just a single aspect of deli very, but responsibility for the wh ole process of parturition . Our control of the situation must be complete . 11

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology

The workshop was attended by six women from six different countries We found our relatively small number quite significant and realized how important it is for femini ts to address the subject of pregnancy and childbirth, and for health workers to be aware of he technology they use.

A paper was presented by Susanne Houd, a Danish midwife; a discussion followed in which all participants recounted their experiences. Ash from India said that high technology is not such a great problem in her country as most women deliver at home, although a few rich women have a panned (and expensive) caesarean . A great proble is that a number of obstetricians perform amnio entesis to determine the sex of the fetus . If it is girl , it is aborted . What can be done to prevent this?*

In Sweden .more and more parents choose to deliver their children at home without professional help. The children are then not registered until 1 they go to school.

We came to several conclusions:

1) New technology such as ultrasound and fetal monitoring is implemented routinely to a very large degree . 2) We are starting to explore and document safe and effective alternatives . Important elements are : continuity of care one midwife to one woman ascultation with a wooden stethoscope massage acknowledgement of energy streams instead of contractions

3) We need to think about how we as users and providers of health services can begin to want and to use other techniques . How do we develop a feminist/humanistic
perinatal care?

The aims of such care must be that it honors the woman's desires even if she wants high tech (al though this would seem unlikely to happen where serves are offered outside hospitals, unless the woman is very dedicated to high tech) .

This kind of care can come about only when women are empowered to make informed decisions - before the delivery, preferably as early in the preganancy as
possible . Such decisions cannot be made without information, through the media, from health personel or from women's groups, either traditional or feminist, and human support. It is important that both information and human support be given . One inspiring example comes from Denmark where a group of women having had home deliveries have organized so they can help other women wanting homebirths . Any 'Woman wanting a home delivery or support during her pre,g ancy can contact this group . One or two women will be "assigned" to her throughout her pregnancy and delivery. The women will work in conjunction with the woman' s midwife , or support her against any eventual harrassment from the medical staff . (Asha mentioned that the family support system still exists very strongly in India ; a woman always goes to her mother's house to deliver . )

Although we recognize that legislation alone is not sufficient (India has a very  pro-woman law, and there are many problems), legislation is something which must be looked at. There is, for example, a group of people in the European Council dealing with women and health . How do we reach these people?

We know that there is going to be a struggle for the ever-diminishing number of deliveries in Europe, but we fear that if developing countries continue to follow Western example, as it seems to be doing today , more and more women will sufer from postpartum depression .

Where technology comes between mother and child , it inhibits contact. After a period of struggling to reach one another , they turn their backs on one another - and cry.