Group 4 - Encouraging instinctual movement in labour and upright birth in rural Uganda

Topic Area: A woman giving birth in a low-resource setting in rural Uganda. What are you visualising? As a volunteer midwife working at Mother Health International’s Birth House in 2014 I visualised – women moving... [ view full abstract ]

Topic Area: A woman giving birth in a low-resource setting in rural Uganda. What are you visualising? As a volunteer midwife working at Mother Health International’s Birth House in 2014 I visualised – women moving instinctually and finding the ‘right’ position to help them and their baby; idealistic maybe. In reality, I saw labouring women moving freely until they began pushing. Then, women lying flat on their backs with a flurry of women and birth workers encouraging her to push. This needed to change for the benefit of women and their unborn children.

Description of innovation: Through story-telling, song and dance Traditional Midwives are being re-educated about the benefits of upright labour and birth. Enabling them to support women to mobilise and adopt positions that are comfortable for them. When returning in 2016, Upright Birth illustrations were introduced for antenatal education at outreach clinics. These illustrations were also placed throughout the birth house and supportive conversation with labouring women about positions for labour and birth were encouraged.

Discussion: The benefits of upright birth are well documented and historically known. Nevertheless, throughout the world women in normal labour are encouraged to birth in supine positions. Birth workers have a responsibility to support free movement in labour and birth. Thus supporting women’s innate understanding of their childbirth journey.  Use of illustrations within healthcare settings may assist the education of both woman and birth workers. So that together we can work towards a more upright future.

Conclusion: The use of illustration for encouraging free movement in labour and upright birth was successfully introduced at Mother Health International Birth House in rural Uganda.