Natural Methods to Assist Delivery during the Second Stage of Labour: Part I: Positioning and the Role of Intrapartum Ultrasound

Abstract

Labour has high importance for every woman’s life but also is the moment when many complications might appear increasing significantly morbidity and mortality. Therefore obstetricians have to help women in labour to give birth to their babies naturally, with the highest satisfaction possible. Western standards suggest that women should experience their partirution in the lithotomy or the supine position. However, upright positions have the potential to reduce second stage of labour and to improve neonatal outcomes. Intrapartum ultrasound using different parameters can predict the remaining time to delivery and therefore to make timely interventions in order to decrease instrumental or caesarean deliveries and postpartum hemorrhage as these are the most important complications met in prolonged second stage of labour. In this review the optimal positioning of the women in labour will be presented. Additionally, the ability of intrapartum to shorting second stage duration and to increase maternal satisfaction concerning childbirth will also mentioned.