Intrapartum care in the twenty-first century

From the Chamberlain brothers and their secret forceps in the late 1500s to the increased cesarean section rates of the late 1900s, women have both benefited and suffered from advancements in obstetrical practice. Midwifery, ever present in its various forms, has survived throughout the ages, keeping a cautious watch over developments in medicine and obstetrics. Despite all the changes within the professions working with pregnancy, women still get pregnant, gestate, labor, and birth in a fairly consistent way Therefore, midwives today continue a responsibility that is thousands of years old-safeguarding the natural processes of pregnancy and birth. Maintaining knowledge about modern contributions and intrusions into these processes is a vital part of this professional responsibility.