Intrapartum Care: Care of Healthy Women and Their Babies During Childbirth

Excerpt

This guideline covers the care of healthy women in labour at term (37–42 weeks of gestation). About 600 000 women give birth in England and Wales each year, of whom about 40% are having their first baby. Most of these women are healthy and have a straightforward pregnancy. Almost 90% of women will give birth to a single baby after 37 weeks of pregnancy with the baby presenting head first. Most women (about two-thirds) go into labour spontaneously. Thus the majority of women giving birth in the UK fall under the scope of this guideline.