If we were to take our cues from TV shows and Hollywood movies, we’d be spending the entire childbirth process pushing while giving birth to our babies. Obviously, this should absolutely not be the case – but should we be pushing at all during childbirth?
According to a new programme devised by midwives in the UK, we should refrain from pushing during delivery, to cut the risk of inflicting unnecessary injury to our bodies.
The programme, designed by staff at Medway Foundation Trust in Kent, encourages women in labour to try different positions – such as standing, kneeling or leaning – mainly to reduce injury to the perineum.
The perineum is the area between the anus and the vulva, and it can tend to get torn during childbirth. In severe cases, this tearing can lead to further problems, such as incontinence.
The team behind the programme have pinpointed pushing as a major factor in damage to the perineum; and, as well as calling on women to experiment with different positions, they are encouraging them to breathe through their contractions as opposed to pushing.
The programme also calls on midwives to refrain from pulling the baby during its birth. By supporting the baby’s head, this will apparently reduce pressure on the perineum as well as the risk of inflicting damage.
The programme has already been tested, and the results are certainly impressive. According to a study published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Reproductive Biology, these techniques have overseen a reduction of 6 percent (from 7 percent to 1 percent) in the number of cases of traumatic treatment.
The advice has also reduced unintentional damage caused to the body during labour by a whopping 85 percent in some maternity wards.
The team behind the programme recommendations are hoping to roll it out nationally, to benefit mothers all over the country.
What are your thoughts? Is this advice in line with your experience of childbirth? Would you like to see this advice introduced to Ireland? Let us know!
