So there ya go, Todd

Last week, at our antenatal class, the topic of the evening was normal
labour. After a talk from the midwife, we watched a video showing two
normal deliveries, and the midwife then asked whether we had any
questions.

Me: "Well, I couldn't help notice that both those women seemed to be
spending an awful lot of time just lying on their backs."

Midwife: "Yes, you're quite right. That's a very old video - did you
notice the first lady's 70's hairstyle? - and these days we put much
more emphasis on getting women to move around into different positions."

Me: "I've been reading that if you lie or sit down in the second stage,
it closes off quite a lot of the space in your birth canal because of
the pressure on your tailbone. What I've read is that you should try
positions like squatting, or on all fours, or lying on your side, or
maybe even standing, to *get off your tailbone*, because it just gives
so much more space."

Midwife: "That's quite right. I wish I could have shown you the video
of the woman who gave birth in a squat [home birth video which she
hadn't been able to show us due to time constraints] because it was so
much gentler and easier than those deliveries - the baby just seemed to
come straight out."


Just because I'm not prepared to join your crusade of pestering complete
strangers on the subject doesn't mean I'm not prepared to give a word to
the wise in appropriate situations where it's actually plausible that
someone _will_ listen. I just don't go about it in the way you do.
;-)


All the best,

Sarah

--
"I once requested an urgent admission for a homeopath who had become depressed
and taken a massive underdose" - Phil Peverley