The Medicalization of Childbirth: A necessary system for safety or a lack of evidence-based practice?

Abstract

There has been an alarming trend in Canadian hospitals to over-medicalize the process of childbirth. The attribution of pathology to
childbearing has led to an increased use of medical interventions that elevates healthcare costs and postoperative risk without improving
the birthing experience for mothers and newborns. Nurses occupy an optimal position for addressing this problem because of the significant
duration of contact they have with patients and their professional competency in non-pharmacological approaches. This is reflected in the
positive outcomes linked to the use of continual labour support, an intervention largely performed by nurses and midwives.