Roberts and colleagues (2007) descriptively analyzed midwives’ care provision during second stage of labour. Communications of ten birth attendants and ten women were filmed during expulsive labour. Findings showed that midwives were more likely to provide directions on how to push when there is maternal distress, fatigue, fear and pain.
Yeates and Roberts (1984) studied the effects of women’s bearing-down efforts in second stage. Participants were allo- cated to a control group who were encouraged to push while holding their breath (n=5), and an experimental group who were taught to bear down when they experienced an invol- untary urge to push (n=5). No difference between groups in relation to reports of maternal effort was found.