This getting off topic but as an adoring fan of Monty Python, their 
predecessors the Goons and their disciples, Rowan Atkinson and Hugh Laurie 
(yes the one and the same Hugh Laurie who plays Dr. House), I find that 
usually their satirical humour hits the nail on the head.  Of course they go 
over the top - and even in the eighties when "Meaning of Life" with this 
skit was made, most hospitals were not quite as horrendous as this.
But if we remember that most women were attached to continuous fetal 
monitors, the awe for the monitor was greater than that for the woman in 
labor, medical attendants talked over the heads of the woman, she gave birth 
in the lithotomy position, babies were indeed smacked on their bottoms, 
given no time with their mothers and whisked away to the nursery - then we 
who have worked tirelessly all these years in childbirth education and 
lactation and postpartum support can be proud.  For it is our outreach that 
has not only caused change and provided choice in the birth place, but it is 
has aroused the awareness of the "consumer", the pregnant woman and her 
partner.

Yes some of the Monty Python skits are OTT but they were created by 
brilliant people who were often highly qualified in other fields.  Compare 
this with some of the scenarios in the American ER and the BBC  Holby and 
Casualty hospital series which are currently screened as depicting modern 
hospital life and it is obvious that the script-writers and directors know 
not the first thing about their subject.
Example: This week`s Holby.  Jess, one of the nurses who is also the 
daughter and the partner of senior physicians has an emergency Cesarean - 
almost all births at Holby maternity ward are emergency Cesars or worse. 
The next day she is in pain and weepy and tells one of her nurse friends 
that she is exhausted because she spent all night breastfeeding and her 
breasts are engorged and sore. Error No. 1. Engorgement does not occur 
because she breastfed frequently in the first 18 hours.
One of her nurse friends takes the baby from her.  "A bottle won`t hurt," 
she tries to comfort her.  Says Jess:  "I want everything to be so perfect," 
(weeping)
"You have to think of yourself and keep up your strength." says nurse friend 
taking baby to give bottle.
At Holby almost all women are induced and give birth in the lithotomy 
position if not taken to the OR first.
And this is supposed to illustrate a UK hospital in the 21st century.
My colleagues in the UK say there is a still a long way to go, but this TV 
series is way out of date and there are so many factual errors.
Monty Python is so zany that when I have showed it to colleagues and 
occasionally when appropriate to my clients, they roar with laughter.
The semi-documentary hospital series on TV are meant to be serious - and 
that is much more scary!!
Wendy Blumfield
NCT Trained ANT/BFC
Israel Childbirth Education Centre

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "LACTNET automatic digest system" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, August 26, 2009 5:32 AM
Subject: LACTNET Digest - 25 Aug 2009 - Special issue (#2009-834)

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome