Are women receiving the best pregnancy and childbirth care?
With the development of the Cochrane Library, the field of obstetrics was among the first to promote widespread distribution of research findings through searchable research reviews. (27) Sadly, there is some evidence that women are not receiving care that reflects our understanding of best childbirth practices. The Childbirth Connection, a 90-year-old organization devoted to promoting maternity care, has conducted recent surveys of women. The general conclusion was that holistic practices and beneficial activities that should be used by healthy women, such as walking during labor, drinking liquids, and using an upright position for pushing, were used by only a few women. Additionally, many women reported experiencing several interventions not generally indicated for healthy women. Women also reported being disenfranchised from decision-making and feeling pressured into interventions by their caregivers. Although most of the survey participants noted that they wanted full information a
