Unravelling the furore over the term 'normal birth'

What is it about?

In August 2017, the Royal College of Midwives responded to a routine query, answering that its Normal Birth Campaign had been absorbed into a new Better Births plan some three years earlier. Nevertheless, this was reported in the media and online as the RCM 'abandoning' terminology about which many midwives felt passionate. This editorial sought to separate the facts from the speculation.

Featured Image

Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Aside from the media sensationalism, this raised an important debate about the power of the language used around mothers and their families, and the need to be reassessed calmly and without dramatisation.