Syncretic Synthesis 

Breathing and relaxation through the contractions, essentially, rather than constant pushing (involuntary pushing can happen and is fine, but it might not be optimal, one wants to prevent stitches and C-sections as much as possible, but the options are there if necessary). I personally found that these more soothing methods led to less stressful births while on my OB/GYN rotation, but there is obviously no perfect method. Many doulas / obstetric /gynecologic practitioners have on hand a variety of methods, and it's best when they and the mother work together. It depends on the situation, but it appears to me that having multiple options available for the patient to select from, with education about the benefits and risks of each option, proper consent, and other legal and ethical considerations followed is in good sense.

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I was informed that one of the reasons OB/GYN was a high stress specialty is that a parent can sue the practitioner up until the baby delivered is age 18 (statute of limitations). It always seemed to me particularly cruel and unusual, after all, if the Good Samaritan Law exists for people to protect bystanders, and OB/GYN is partly an emergency acute response kind of field, then why should this be the case? One could say it is because the provider is supposed to be held responsible for an unfortunate birth consequence, but I have found that clinical responsibility is often not so easily split between a team, especially in acute situations. When I was in a legal healthcare class, I learned about standard of care, but in real world practice, there were more gray areas than I anticipated, much like in other fields. However, one must not simply be too tolerant, especially in cases of obvious abuse -- I was chided to keep an open mind by a clinician, which, it is, but I do not keep my mind so open that my brains fall out.

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Some fun facts I've learned about births: 

-Foetal Ejection Reflex (Fergusson Reflex)

-No two births are the same 

-Fetal Heart Tracing 

-Water births 

-Sometimes mothers gave birth in the toilet when pooping because the sensation is similar and it would turn out perfectly fine (I believe this is due to the Foetal-Ejection Reflex and that squatting can be a better position for some) 

-There are many different positions a mom can try out while birthing, including, but not limited to: 

-Squatting 

-Reclined birthing

-Kneeling with hands on an exercise ball

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Sources: 13 Best Labor and Birthing Positions (thebump.com)

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Dr. Google (if you are wondering, Where is the author getting all these facts? I am Googling the same, but nothing comes up! Well, it has been my experience that each device has developed a history of previous searches, so it could be this, as I have spent many searches in the medical/health realm, or the Law Of Attraction ✨

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My experience on OB-GYN at Maine Medical Center (nevermind all the catty mean girl bullying I experienced there 😉 )