These are the meeting notes for our Feb 2007 meeting in Istanbul. If
anyone has any comments or suggestions, send them along!

-Julia

Natural Birth Turkey

Meeting Notes
10 Feb 2007

In attendance:

Tamahine Alemdar
Sibel Gözübüyük
Jasmin Lutz
Julia Steils

Topics Discussed and Decisions for Action:

• The current situation in Turkey
In the private hospitals of the big cities of Turkey, there is a very
high rate of cesarean section. Women who seek an OB to attend a
natural birth have a lot of difficulty finding one. Some women who
have been cared for in some large, private hospitals have had
substandard obstetrical care, including missed diagonosis of pre
eclampsia, delayed reaction to placenta previa, 4th degree tear caused
by pulling the baby out before the shoulders have rotated, and being
sent home with a dose of cytotec to induce labor and being told to
come in when contractions have begun.

More research should be done on the situation in public hospitals and
poorer regions of Turkey. Involvement by Turkish midwives and nurses
should be encouraged.

We hope to discover / encourage / conduct further research into
hospital practices to gain statistical information on maternal and
infant mortality and morbidity, as well as discover the extent of
doctor participation in peer review and accountability protocols,
establishment of hopspital routine policies, and doctor-patient
communication and disclosure of risks involved in various procedures.

We also aim to provide alternatives to pregnant women who are seeking
natual birth.

• Obtaining statistics to compare with European models of obstetrical
and midwifery care

Julia will research WHO and UN statistical data base and find out what
other parties may collect and publish such information.

• Campaign Plan

Our initial campaign plan consists of woman-to-woman education and
information through the mode of Cosmopolitan magazine. We plan to
contact Cosmopolitan magazine and have a monthly corner containing
birth stories from around the world and Turkey. The goal of
publishing these stories is both to make women aware of the
possibilities for birth as well as to bring to light current problems
with the system in Turkey. There is also the intention of inviting
doctors as well as other birth professionals to comment on the stories.

Sibel will contact Cosmopolitan and be the primary organizer of this
project.

Contacting writers such as Ayşe Arman was discussed as another mode
for getting out information.

Tamahine will research the practicalities of a press release, which
will be done at a later time.

There are plans underway for an international midwifery conference in
Istanbul in October 2008. Midwifery Today and Waterbirth
International will help to organize this event, and we will look into
sponsorships and funding opportunities for local midwives. There are
no specific plans for this at this time, but Sibel will contact her
friend regarding hotel space. Julia and Jasmin are in contact with MT
and WI an will keep the group updated as plans develop. As the time
draws nearer, more specific duties can be delegated.


• Connecting with other groups

Tamahine will contact the Active Birth Center in England and will
research other partnership opportunities in Europe.

Julia will research WHO and International Cesarean Awareness Network
opportunities.

• Education for women and doctors

Primary focus on professional conferences to educate doctors.
Professors will also specifically be invited. Doula training for
nurses and midwives.

Magazine and newspaper articles, TV interviews, documentaries,
conferences, and alternative childbirth classes will be used to
support and educate the public.

• Finding doctors knowledgeable about and willing to do natural birth

We will all keep our eyes and ears open!

• Material translation into Turkish

Tamahine and Sibel will investigate possibilities.

One suggested book title was Birthing From Within. More suggestions
are welcome.

• Laws for homebirth attendants

Sibel and Jasmin will reasearch this.

• Funding

Tamahine will investigate funding possibilities from the EU for future
projects.

Next Meeting

No date has been set for the next meeting. Ongoing communication will
take place via internet. The four women in attendance will report
back to the group within two weeks regarding progress. When another
face-to-face meeting is thought necessary, it will be decided on at
that time.