The medical terminology changes along with our understanding of the field. Over time, some terms become obsolete while others are added. Midwives should be very careful about the language they use, especially during pregnancy.
The Royal College of Midwives will launch an initiative in 2020 to explore the impact of language on women. The Re-Birth Project aimed to develop a language for pregnancy that would be understandable by both those providing maternity care as well as those receiving it.
This was the first of its kind project to directly consult with the maternity community, including new mothers and healthcare providers, on the preferred language they use to describe birth and labor. The project’s findings confirmed that women are less concerned with the way in which their baby is born than whether they have a positive birth experience and feel safe and heard.
The Royal College of Midwives released a Report last year that outlined their findings. This year, a new pocket-sized guide will be issued to midwives.
This article is a part of Women’s Health Matters – a series of articles about the health of women and girls in the world. This series of articles will cover a wide range of women’s issues, from menopause and miscarriage to pleasure and pain.
1. Delivery
In the past, the term “delivery” was commonly used. Women and healthcare professionals wanted to know as accurately and specifically as possible what happened during labor and delivery. You can use “birth using forceps” and “birth using ventouse.” Also includes “césarean birth.”
2. Low risk / High risk
The term “low risk” has been replaced by “universal care needs.” “Additional care needs” has replaced “low risk” as the preferred term. Women must be confident and comfortable during pregnancy. The word “risk,” however, is often associated with uncertainty.
3. Normal
The term “normal birth” has been used for many years by midwives to describe a spontaneous and physiological vaginal birth. What is “normal” delivery? Is it possible to label someone “abnormal” if they didn’t have a “normal” experience of birth?
The term “spontaneous birth” is now preferred to describe spontaneous labor that does not require significant medical interventions, such as oxytocin or induction. This term also includes automatic vaginal delivery without the use of instruments such as forceps.
4. Emergency caesarean
The term “caesarean” is the new general term for an operative cesarean. The word “emergency” is replaced by the term “caesarean birth,” which can confuse. It is preferred to use the term “unplanned c-section” instead of “emergency c-section.”
5. Cervix incompetent
The term “incompetent cervix,” however, has a negative connotation. The preferred time for “cervical insufficiency” is now the preferred one.
6. Failure / failed
Women were eager to discuss how words like “failure of progress” can lead to feelings such as failure and trauma. The terms “delayed progress” and “slow labor” have now become the preferred ones.
The same logic can be applied to terms like “failed induction,” “failed homebirth,” etc. The words “induction of labour with delay, followed by operative delivery” and “transfer during planned homebirth,” respectively, are preferred.
Avoid using language that is blaming or implies blame, like “good girl,” “you’re allowed/not allowed,” and “you’re allowed/not allowed.” This includes “poor mother effort” and “refused.”
The role of a midwife during pregnancy and childbirth, which can be a very vulnerable time for women, is to empower them and respect their autonomy in their decisions.
According to the standards for midwives, midwives are responsible for providing universal care to all women and newborn infants. Midwives promote physical, psychological, and social safety. It is, therefore, clear that the emphasis on psychological care has a profound effect on well-being.
The language that healthcare professionals use is a critical part of their care. The improvement of psychological safety and well-being is closely related to positive outcomes, improved security, and future experiences. The language you use is important.
