A question we always get asked. Am I pro natural birth? The answer to that is both yes and no. My honest answer to that question is that I am pro safe birth. There are times when a natural birth is not the safer option: breech presentation, placenta praevia, abnormal lie, 2 previous Caesarean sections, a big baby, especially when the abdominal circumference is significantly larger than other fetal measurements on ultrasound scan, to name a few. When all things are equal and there is no contraindication to normal birth, there is enough evidence to prove that a normal[...]

Study shows epidurals don't slow labor Epidural analgesia - a mix of anesthetics and narcotics delivered by a catheter placed close to the nerves of the spine - is the most effective method of labor pain relief. In widespread use since the 1970s, epidurals have long been thought to slow the second stage of labor - defined as beginning when the cervix is completely dilated and ending when the baby is delivered.