I enjoyed reading it very much and couldn't help but be struck by the similarities of Dr. Shah's observations and at least two of the six Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices. Healthy Birth Practice 2: Walk, Move Around and Change Positions Throughout Labor and Healthy and Healthy Birth Practice Five: Avoid Giving Birth on Your Back and Follow Your Body's Urges to Push. Birth Practice Four: Avoid Interventions That Are Not Medically Necessary could also be well represented if someone was planning an unmedicated birth but was forced to remain in bed, they may opt for pain relief when the ability to ambulate is removed when they are confined to the bed. It is easier to cope with labor when laboring parents can choose their own positions and laboring locations.
The Healthy Birth Practices are the foundation of my childbirth classes and both myself and the families that I work with appreciate the magnitudes of research and evidence that supports each one of the six guidelines. I appreciated Dr. Shah's observations and felt pride in being able to connect those observations and ponderings to what I (and many of you teach) in Lamaze classes. Take a moment to read Shah's commentary, and let me know how you feel after reading it. You can find more of Dr. Shah's musings on his blog OBservations.