As women demand more than sterile labour and delivery hospital units and as social health-care systems can no longer afford medical births that guarantee every woman an epidural, a trained nurse and an obstetrician, there is definitely a place for the enduring profession of midwifery to help enhance the miracle of birth. Imagine women from many different countries on the rich tropical island of Jamaica sharing the many birth ways from their various cultural backgrounds. We sat in circles sharing techniques to help mothers birth and care for their babies. We shared the joys and difficulties of practising at a time in history when medicalisation is threatening to push us in the background. We danced, sang, prayed, took a tour of health centres and studied many subjects.
Every country has both common and unique child birthing problems and solutions.
Most of the 150 participants were midwives but some had backgrounds in women's studies, nursing or anthropology. The countries represented were Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Virgin Islands, Japan, Israel, Germany, Italy the US, UK, Canada and others. We shared the problems and the strengths of each country in hopes of finding the best ways to serve the families we care for. We planned how to take global midwifery into the new millennium. The purpose of the conference was to teach, to share and to strengthen midwifery.