For once, the BBC got it right! Last night I watched an episode of a series "Criminal Justice" which was probably screened in the UK some time ago.
A pregnant woman is arrested for murdering her husband, we know not why -  there are hints that she will reveal the reasons which might be connected to protecting her 11-year-old daughter.
While awaiting trial, she gives birth and it is obvious when watching the scenes of her joy and devotion while breastfeeding this infant that the producers of this show have experienced motherhood.
We see the baby sucking, beautifully latched on, releasing the nipple when sated with that blissful "drunken" look on her face.
The social workers fight desperately to find a mother and baby unit and several times the baby is wrenched from the mother`s arms and they are separated.  Committees sit and ponder whether she might abuse this baby; meanwhile all the mother-and-baby units are full.  But a tenacious and sympathetic social worker is determined that mother and baby will not be separated and sits up all night making phone calls until she finds a place.
When police question the social worker`s motivation in making things easy for a woman who has murdered her husband, her reply is: "I`m thinking of the baby - no infant should be separated from her mother."
This production was so authentic and sensitive and whether or not one sympathizes with the prisoner, it is obviously the best interests of the baby which are at the heart of the story.  This opens wide the entire issue of inadequate provision of mother-and-baby units in prisons, not only in the UK.  I`m sure that those of you living in other countries could report similar dilemmas.
Wendy Blumfield
NCT Trained ANT Tutor/BFC (UK)
Israel Childbirth Education Centre

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