Humanisation of childbirth 8: Where do we go from here?

Abstract

In this eighth and final article of the 19th midwifery basics series on Humanising Birth, the authors revisit the important tenets of the humanisation of childbirth and provide ideas for progressing this concept into the future of maternity care systems. Ideas discussed in this paper have been published in an article by Professor Lesley Page in Deutsche Hebammen Zeitschrift, titled (in English) Humanising birth: crucial for resilience sustainability and humanity for the future, and in German Die Humane Geburt: Zeit für den Wandel!1 and by Dr Elizabeth Newnham and colleagues in Towards the humanisation of birth: a study of epidural analgesia and hospital birth culture.2.