We've all watched scenes on television and in movies where mothers in labor are given orders to "push." Sometimes, it feels like that's the only birthing option available.
The truth is, women have been giving birth in a myriad of ways and positions for thousands of years, and it's not until fairly recently that we adopted the flat-on-your-back, push-when-told approach that is so common today.
These days, there are plenty of birthing trends. From water birth, to birth photography, to a blast from the past — natural labor. As many trends as there may be, most women in developed countries like the US undergo the traditional hospital birth.
However, the accepted method of pushing the baby out while lying down may not actually be as effective — or as safe — as one may initially think.
In fact, Medway Maritime Hospital in the UK has stopped telling their laboring mothers when they have to push. They are taking a more gentle approach. Amazingly, mothers and doctors are both raving about the results.
When it comes to being pregnant and giving birth, there is a lot that can go wrong. However, moms will usually do everything in their power to make sure their pregnancy and subsequent delivery go as smoothly as possible.
To ensure this, moms and moms-to-be trust the expertise of doctors and medical teams throughout their pregnancy and especially in the delivery room.
According to What To Expect, pushing the baby out is the second stage of childbirth and usually takes anywhere from a matter of minutes to a few hours.
Either way, it is widely regarded as the figurative and literal "final push" before the baby arrives.
While pushing out your baby is inevitable, there is some discrepancy surrounding how much to push, and when you have to do it.
Medway Maritime Hospital in the UK and their The Stop Traumatic Oasis Morbidity Project (STOMP) are saying less is more, and they have the results to prove it.
The STOMP project seeks to minimize the occurrence of childbirth-induced vaginal tears.
We've all heard horror stories about moms "tearing" themselves down there, especially as a result of a particularly labor-intensive delivery.
In many cases, the doctor will even deliberately make an incision in order to widen the opening, which naturally leads to a longer recovery.
The STOMP prevention method was designed around the idea that some moms were sustaining birth injuries from pushing too quickly and vigorously, before their bodies were ready, according to Kent Online.
The program is personalized depending on the individual patient and includes full assessments before, during, and after the birthing process, which allows for improvements to be made next time.
Overall, the STOMP method has been extremely successful. Over a 12 month period, instances of severe third and fourth degree vaginal tearing was reduced from 5 to 1.5%, according to the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. The national average is around 6%.
Moreover, the method, which encourages mothers to take their time, listen to their bodies and try different positions, rather than just flat on their backs, has also reduced the need for C-sections.
The maternity team at Medway Maritime Hospital received recognition of their achievements by the Royal College of Midwives.
The STOMP method is relatively low-cost method of improving the birthing experience and reducing injury.
Most importantly, the approach allows families more time to enjoy each other's company and less time in recovery.
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