Are we unrealistic about the length of time it takes to give birth?
Dr Siobhan Quemby from Liverpool Women's Hospital discussed research into why so many women end up with a "failure to progress" diagnosis during labour. It often leads to the administration of the drug oxytocin to speed up the labour - which can result in a long labour and a caesarean.
Dr Quemby found that for one group of women it's a build up of lactic acid in the uterus which stops it working and to get it contracting efficiently again, all you may need to do is have a rest. This approach met with approval from many listeners.
Some of you felt that women can have misconceptions about the time it can take to deliver a baby and that it's important to be realistic about the impact of such a long labour.
