The Howes Birthing Mirror For Labour
Things to Take to Hospital For an Easier Childbirth
Feb 9, 2009
A birthing mirror is a specially designed piece of equipment that enables a midwife and mother-to-be to see how labour is progressing. During the final stages of labour a woman will unconsciously adopt an upright position to give birth – either squatting or on all fours, as this makes the best use of gravity, opens up the cervix and enables her to move freely with her contractions.
A study published in the British Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology in 1982 found that squatting increases the area in the birth canal by 20 – 30%, helps protect the pelvic floor and reduces the need for medical intervention. However, squatting positions make it difficult for the midwife to see how the labour is progressing. This can lead to a woman being asked to change positions, which can be distressing and increases pain, length of labour and trauma. When a woman is flat on her back she cannot move freely or gain the momentum required to push and this can lead to medical intervention.
The Best Positions For Easier Labour and Delivery
The midwife can use the mirror discreetly and have a good view of baby’s progress while the mother labours in a position she feels most comfortable in,’ says Virginia Howes, an independent midwife in Kent who designed the birthing mirror.
‘I came up with the concept because I was forever worrying about the health risks with conventional mirrors and not being able to clean them properly,’ says Virginia. ‘Also, they were never quite the correct shape or size to see all angles.
‘The mirror is made from highly polished stainless steel so it can be sterilized unlike glass mirrors. It will not break, has no sharp edges and is angled so there is a good view of baby for midwife and mother in whatever position the mother chooses to birth in. Plastic frames crack when washed at high temperatures and cannot be sterilized so could be harbouring harmful bacterium.
‘I think a woman should be unaware that it is being used unless she wants to look herself. The main point is that she can labour undisturbed while the midwife has a good view and is prepared and informed without resorting to telling the woman to change positions, which is what usually happens.’
Increasing Low Normal Birth Rates
Virginia also hopes the mirror will help increase our low normal birth rates. The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) defines a ‘normal delivery’ as a ‘vaginal birth without unnecessary medical intervention’. Recent figures from BirthChoice UK show that only around 47% of women in England, 38% in Scotland and 39% in Northern Ireland gave birth without medical intervention.
The Howes Birthing Mirror is 26cm long by 8cm wide and is angled to give the best possible view of the labour-in-progress. It costs £25 plus p&p and is available online from the Kent Midwifery Practice.
Further reading
Books
Active Birth: The New Approach to Giving Birth Naturally by Janet Balaskas, Harvard Common Press, US revised edition, 31 December 1994.
Scientific Journals
Russell JGB, The rationale of primitive delivery positions: The British Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Volume 89, Issue 9, Pages 712-715. 1982. Published online 23 August 2005.
Russell JGB, Moulding of the pelvic outlet: The British Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Volume 76, Issue 9, Pages 817 – 20. 1969. Published online 23 August 2005.
This article is for general information purposes only. Consult your health practitioner if you want specific guidance on a health issue.
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