For your consideration:
A new guideline has been in effect since December 2020. It applies to staff and to about 85% of women who could give birth naturally, according to WHO. They have a broad say in the matter. Use it. Ask the staff if they follow the new guidelines. You can find out more in our ABC under G: Gidelines.

The duration of labour during the first delivery lasts several hours longer than the following deliveries. The tendency/practice in clinics to give oxytocic/parturifacient substances because of "weakness in the contractions" (bradytocia) should therefore be viewed critically, especially in the case of first-time mothers.

Artificial oxytocic substances to stimulate/enhance the contractions usually cause more pain than natural contractions. They contradict and ignore the body's own contractions rhythm. The contractions may be missing due to the wellbeing of each individual.
Foto: Pixabay free
At birth, somatic processes at the brain stem level play a decisive role. The woman must be able to feel safe and protected. She needs rest in order to be able to let herself go. If a hospital cannot offer such shelter to women, it is no wonder that contractions do not occur. Instead of designing the hospital rooms differently, darkening the light and creating rest zones so that the woman can come to rest, a "contractions weakness" is diagnosed. The woman - this is how the impression arises - lacks something, namely the ability to enable contractions. The reality, however, is that in rare cases the clinic environment is designed in a way that would be good atmosphere for women giving birth.
"If nothing has happened by tomorrow morning, we have to initiate the birthing process". How many women had to listen to this threat, felt under pressure and slipped into clinical intervention?
If artificial oxytocic substances are given, the woman giving birth loses control over the rhythm of the contractions. Oxytocic substances require permanent monitoring of the heartbeat by a CTG. This is strapped around the woman's stomach. It measures both the baby's heart sounds and the mother's contractions. This allows less free moving space, usually she has to lie still. If the contractions appear too weak, a higher dose is administered. It is adjusted via the drip that runs into the intravenous cannula.
The frequent consequence of artificial oxytocic substances is: The woman has to adjust to the rhythm of contractions and pauses in contractions that are forced upon her. This also applies to the baby. That is why the heart sounds are monitored on both of them. Contractions produced artificially with medical stimulations are more painful than the natural labour. The result of it is that pain-reliever are given to the mother. (Body’s own Endorphins are combined and can be only produced in reaction to the body-contractions = labour). Pain reliever have side effects such as Circulatory-disturbance. Again, the reaction to this is the use of antidotes. An epidural anesthesia often appears at the end of a chain of increasing interventions. The effect of an epidural very often is the last step before it leads into a caesarean section because of child's "weak heart sounds".
For more information about this ask experienced midwives working outside the hospital.