Step 6 of the Ten Steps of Mother-Friendly Care addresses two issues: 1) the routine use of interventions (shaving, enemas, intravenous drips, withholding food and fluids, early rupture of membranes, and continuous electronic fetal monitoring; and 2) the optimal rates of induction, episiotomy, cesareans, and vaginal births after cesarean. Rationales for compliance and systematic reviews are presented.
Keywords: NPO, labor; VBAC and induction of labor; VBAC rates; amniotomy artificial rupture of membranes; anal incontinence; cesarean; cesarean rate; cesarean, adverse effects; elective induction; elective repeat cesarean; electronic fetal monitoring; enema, labor; episiotomy rate; episiotomy, adverse effects; episiotomy, median; episiotomy, mediolateral; induction and adverse effects; intrapartum cardiotocography; intravenous drip, adverse effects; intravenous drip, labor; intravenous nutrition, labor; labor induced; labor induction; labor preparation; maternal satisfaction and induction; nutrition, labor; obstetric birth, adverse effects; obstetric procedures, adverse effects; oral intake, labor; pelvic-floor dysfunction; perineal shaving, labor; rates of induction; spontaneous labor rates; urinary incontinence; vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC); vaginal birth, adverse effects.