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The Second Stage of Labour: Whose Urge to Push?

Abstract:

The first (human) baby I saw born was in a small country hospital in May 1976. There have been huge changes in maternity care since then. For example, women no longer have a shave and enema on admission. What exactly brought about that change, I wonder? Was it women saying 'NO!' Did people start to say 'Why do we do this?' Did maternity caregivers say, 'The research says...'? I'm fascinated how change comes about. One of the biggest changes about society, as well as about maternity care over these twenty years, I believe, is a general sense that the status of women has changed. The woman in labour is no longer the 'passive recipient' of the'standard institutional care'. This change of status of women in maternity in the modern world may range from: 'the woman is allowed to make choices', to: 'the woman is in partnership with her caregiver'. Thus, in the first stage of labour, a woman 'is allowed to' or chooses to, do just about anything she likes. She may pace the floor, or float in a pool; have soft music, quiet lights, aromatherapy, massage, hot towels; she can have whom ever she wants with her. The first age of labour, it seems to be accepted, 'belongs' to the woman. WHY then, does this suddenly change in the second stage?

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management techniques, physiological stages of birth, second stage of labour