RCM Midwifery Practice Guidance: Induction of labour and guidance for care of women in labour.
Researchers from the Maternal Health & Wellbeing Group and the Centre for Evidence Based Healthcare have produced two sets of guidance for the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), on induction of labour and the care of women in labour in in all settings in the UK. Each set of guidance has two versions, ones for mothers and families and one for midwives.
The core aim is to promote individualised, empowering care across all settings in the UK to women during during pregnancy, labour and birth by supporting discussion between women and midwives. The team used established methods to synthesise existing evidence to produce evidence summaries and recommendations for practice.
Nottingham Maternity Research Network has been consulted throughout the process on the specific topics for the guidance. Individual Network members have also joined the expert advisory group alongside: midwives, obstetric,neonatal and anaesthetic clinicians; charities and advocacy groups. This group has reviewed the process of producing the guidance as well as advising on its content, format and dissemination.
The guidance is now available to midwives via the RCM's publication pages. A version of the guidance for women and families is available via Emma's Diary. Guidance for care of women in labour can be found in Emma's Diary's Guide to Labour and Birth and the induction of labour guidance can be found here.
Meeting with a wide range of professionals in the field, I was able to both observe and participate in the construction of the guidelines, and plans for how these guidelines would reach the people they are intended for. This was fascinating and satisfying to feel I was contributing towards improved care for women.