The overarching goal of childbirth education is to
have a healthy birth. Childbirth practices should not
constitute a one-size-fits-all approach. Nurses and
childbirth educators need to focus their attention on
the patient, and not a machine. The indiscriminateuse of EFM in the labor room is not improving
outcomes, and is actually causing harm to healthy
women with uncomplicated pregnancies. Employing a low-tech, high-touch approach needs to be the
main philosophy while providing nursing care to
most laboring women.
Creating a culture of safety starts during the
prenatal period and requires childbirth educators and maternity nurses to recognize the power
within each woman to make an informed choice
based on evidence. Childbirth classes envisioned in
a new light provide an educational forum for pregnant women and their partners to learn how to
communicate their needs, share their wisdom, and
develop skills of advocacy so that a healthy birth
can be achieved