Safe Childbirth: A Call to Action

Abstract

Since the publication of Lamaze's Six Healthy Birth Practice papers in 2014, there has been increasing concern with the safety of the current maternity care system. A doubling of the maternal mortality rate in the United States and the continued high cesarean rate, as well as ongoing research that supports physiologic birth and identifies the risks of interfering with the physiologic process, has resulted in updated guidelines for care and has spurred advocacy efforts to transform maternity care. This article presents a number of these advocacy efforts.

The Effect on the Birth Process of Endogenous Oxytocin Release Via Coitus at Home in Pregnant Women in the Latent Phase

“…Despite many complications of synthetic induction use, endogenous oxytocin, which is natural oxytocin released by the body, is essential for labor 12 . Although their structures are similar 13 , the release of endogenous oxytocin, in contrast to synthetic oxytocin, reduces pain by increasing the release of endorphin, a natural pain reliever released by the body 14 15 16 17 . Endogenous oxytocin release increases the Bishop score and increases the rate of spontaneous vaginal delivery 12 .…”

Trial of Labor and Vaginal Birth after Three Previous Cesarean Sections: Report of Two Special Cases

“…Why should a woman seek a vaginal birth when, nowadays, medical care can provide an easy, relatively safe and pain-free alternative childbirth with a planned cesarean section 1 ? And why should an obstetrician allow a trial of labor (TOL) and bear the related risks of complications in a time when medical litigations are increasingly frequent and easily initiated 2 ?…”