Midwifery support in labour: how important is it to stay in the room?

This paper draws on the findings of an observational study of intrapartum care in Scotland, UK. Observations lasting up to three hours were undertaken of 49 labour episodes. Quantitative data gathered through the study identified associations between women's feelings about the support they received and the proportion of time that their midwife was present in the labour room and between the midwife's presence and the type of birth. Reflections on the care observed during the 104 hours of observations identified several key consequences of the midwife's absence from the room: heightened anxiety of the woman and her birth partner; a reduction in opportunities to build rapport and offer support; and a reduction in the midwife's ability to monitor the progress of the labour accurately. The study also found that those midwives who were out of the room more, were less supportive of the women in their care when they were in the room.