Why ‘pushing’ is really dangerous for women giving birth
The world is full of old wives’ tales and misconceptions regarding childbirth and the most common is that women in labour need to push. A new midwife-led programme is trying to dispell the myth. Instead, it encourages women to slow down during delivery and try alternative positions.
The protocol was designed by staff at Medway Foundation Trust in Kent and it reduced cases of traumatic tearing from 7% to 1% of patients, according to the Independent.
It also managed to cut unintentionally damage caused to the body during childbirth by 85% in certain maternity wards.
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It was created as a response to a call for action by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) and the Royal College of Midwives following a worrying increase in severe perineal tearing affecting nearly 14,000 women in 2013 to 2014.
Some form of tearing during childbirth is experienced by nine in ten women. In serious cases, this can lead to incontinence and lifelong nerve problems.
Dot Smith, head of midwifery at Medway Foundation, blames this on the myth that women in labour need to push. “When we saw 22 cases of third-degree tears in a month, we said, ‘‘This is not good enough,” she told the Daily Mail.
The new guidelines for women giving birth involve alternative positions such as standing, leaning or on the knees. They also encourage women to breathe through contractions instead of pushing. Midwives are prevented from pulling out the baby during delivery and advised to support the baby’s weight as it emerges in order to reduce pressure on the perineum.
The results have been impressive so far, so the results have been published in the European Journal Of Obstetrics & Gynaecology And Reproductive Biology. There are plans to make the program available nationally.
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