Introduction: Prolonged progress can occur in the first and second stages of labour and may contribute to a negative birth experience. However, previous studies have mainly focused on quantitative aspects or overall birth experience, and little is known about women's experiences of a prolonged passive second stage. Objective: To describe the lived experiences of a prolonged passive second stage of labour in nulliparous women. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted with 15 nulliparous women with a passive second stage lasting three hours or more. Data were analysed using thematic analysis based on descriptive phenomenology. Results: The analysis resulted in four themes: “An unknown phase” that entailed remaining in a phase that the women lacked an awareness of. “Trust and mistrust in the body's ability” represents the mindset for vaginal birth as well as feelings of powerlessness and self-guilt. The theme “Loss of control” included experiences of frustration, fatigue, and having to deny bodily instincts. “Support through presence and involvement” signifies support through the midwife's presence in the birthing room, although there were also descriptions of emotional or physical absence. Conclusions: The findings contribute to the understanding of prolonged labour based on women's lived experiences and add to the body of knowledge about the prolonged passive second stage. This study highlights that women need support through information, presence, and encouragement to remain in control. It can be beneficial during birth preparation to include knowledge about the passive second stage together with unexpected or complicated situations during birth, such as prolonged labour. 

Reactivity is the pattern of reactions associated with response to changes in the environment such as stress. Labour with uterine contractions hampering fetal and uterine blood flow provides significant stress and we need to improve our ability to assess fetal reactivity biopatterns during delivery. The study illustrates progress made with regard to detailed analysis of the fetal heart rate (FHR) and beat-to-beat variations (RR-intervals) as a clinical measure of fetal reactivity. A method, named residuals, is presented of using a small set of index cases to identify parameter settings which are then further evaluated in extensive database tests of 8100 cases.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between 5-min Apgar score and umbilical cord artery carbon dioxide tension (pCO₂). DESIGN: Observational study. SETTING: European hospital labor wards. POPULATION: Data from 36,432 newborns ≥36 gestational weeks were obtained from three sources: two trials of monitoring with fetal electrocardiogram (the Swedish randomized controlled trial and the European Union Fetal ECG trial) and Mölndal Hospital data. After validation of the acid-base values, 25,806 5-min Apgar scores were available for analysis. METHODS: Validation of the umbilical cord acid-base values was performed to obtain reliable data. 5-min Apgar score was regressed against cord artery pCO₂ in a polynomial multilevel model. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Five-min Apgar score, umbilical cord pCO₂, pH, and base deficit. RESULTS: Overall, a higher cord artery pCO₂ was found to be associated with lower 5-min Apgar scores. However, among newborns with moderate acidemia, lower umbilical cord artery pCO₂ (≤median pCO₂ for the specific cord artery pH) was associated with lower 5-min Apgar scores, with a relative risk of 2.0 (95% confidence interval: 1.4-2.8) for 5-min Apgar scores 0-6. CONCLUSIONS: Metabolic acidosis affects the newborn's vitality more than respiratory acidosis. In addition, elevated levels of pCO₂ may be beneficial for fetuses with moderate acidemia, and thus cord artery pCO₂ is a factor that should be considered when assessing the compromised newborn.

Introduction Many women experience giving birth as traumatic. Although women's subjective experiences of trauma are considered the most important, currently there is no clear inclusive definition of a traumatic birth to help guide practice, education, and research. Aim To formulate a woman-centered, inclusive definition of a traumatic childbirth experience. Methods After a rapid literature review, a five-step process was undertaken. First, a draft definition was created based on interdisciplinary experts' views. The definition was then discussed and reformulated with input from over 60 multidisciplinary clinicians and researchers during a perinatal mental health and birth trauma research meeting in Europe. A revised definition was then shared with consumer groups in eight countries to confirm its face validity and adjusted based on their feedback. Results The stepwise process confirmed that a woman-centered and inclusive definition was important. The final definition was: "A traumatic childbirth experience refers to a woman's experience of interactions and/or events directly related to childbirth that caused overwhelming distressing emotions and reactions; leading to short and/ or long-term negative impacts on a woman's health and wellbeing." Conclusions This definition of a traumatic childbirth experience was developed through consultations with experts and consumer groups. The definition acknowledges that low-quality provider interactions and obstetric violence can traumatize individuals during childbirth. The women-centered and inclusive focus could help women to identify and validate their experiences of traumatic birth, offering benefits for practice, education, and research, as well as for policymaking and activism in the fields of perinatal mental health and respectful maternity care.

OBJECTIVE: To compare childbirth experiences in women randomly assigned to either induction of labour at 41 weeks or to expectant management until 42 weeks, in the Swedish Post-term Induction Study.

DESIGN: A register-based, multicentre, randomised, controlled, superiority trial.

SETTING: Women were recruited at 14 hospitals in Sweden, 2016-2018.

PARTICIPANTS: Women with an uncomplicated singleton pregnancy were recruited at 41 gestational weeks.

INTERVENTIONS: The women were randomly assigned to induction of labour at 41 weeks (induction group, n=1381) or expectant management until 42 weeks (expectant management group, n=1379).

OUTCOME MEASURES: As main outcome, women's childbirth experiences were measured using the Childbirth Experience Questionnaire version 2 (CEQ2), in 656 women, 3 months after the birth at three hospitals. As exploratory outcome, overall childbirth experience was measured in 1457 women using a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS 1-10) within 3 days after delivery at the remaining eleven hospitals.

RESULTS: The total response rate was 77% (2113/2760). There were no significant differences in childbirth experience measured with CEQ2 between the groups (induction group, n=354; expectant management group, n=302) in the subscales: own capacity (2.8 vs 2.7, p=0.09), perceived safety (3.3 vs 3.2, p=0.06) and professional support (3.6 vs 3.5, p=0.38) or in the total CEQ2 score (3.3 vs 3.2, p=0.07), respectively. Women in the induction group scored higher in the subscale participation (3.6 vs 3.4, p=0.02), although with a small effect size (0.19). No significant difference was observed in overall childbirth experience according to VAS (8.0 (n=735) vs 8.1 (n=735), p=0.22). 

CONCLUSIONS: There were no differences in childbirth experience, according to CEQ2 or overall childbirth experience assessed with VAS, between women randomly assigned to induction of labour at 41 weeks or expectant management until 42 weeks. Overall, women rated their childbirth experiences high.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN26113652.

Purpose: The saltatory pattern, characterized by wide and rapid oscillations of the fetal heart rate (FHR), remains a controversial entity. The authors sought to evaluate whether it could be associated with an adverse fetal outcome. Material and Methods: The authors report a case series of four saltatory patterns occurring in the last 30 minutes before birth in association with cord artery metabolic acidosis, obtained from three large databases of internally acquired FHR tracings. The distinctive characteristics of this pattern were evaluated with the aid of a computer system. Results: All cases were recorded in uneventful pregnancies, with normal birth weight singletons, born vaginally at term. The saltatory pattern lasted between 23 and 44 minutes, exhibited a mean oscillatory amplitude of 45.9 to 80.0 beats per minute (bpm) and a frequency between four and eight cycles per minute. Conclusions: A saltatory pattern exceeding 20 minutes can be associated with the occurrence of fetal metabolic acidosis.

Comment on Effectiveness of electronic fetal monitoring with additional ST analysis in vertex singleton pregnancies at >36 weeks of gestation: an individual participant data metaanalysis

Background: Objective information on speci fi c fetal heart rate (FHR) parameters would be advantageous when assessing fetal responses to hypoxia. Small, visually undetectable changes in FHR variability can be quanti fi ed by power spectral analysis of FHR variability. Aims: To investigate the effect of intrapartum hypoxia and acidemia on spectral powers of FHR variability. Study design: This is a retrospective observational clinical study with data from an EU multicenter project. Subjects: We had 462 fetuses with a normal pH-value (pH > 7.20; controls) in fetal scalp blood sample (FBS) and 81 fetuses with a low scalp pH-value ( ≤ 7.20; low-FBS pH-fetuses). The low-FBS pH-fetuses were further divided into two subgroups according to the degree of acidemia: fetuses with FBS pH 7.11 – 7.20 (n = 58) and fetuses with FBS pH ≤ 7.10 (n = 23). Outcome measures: Spectral powers of FHR variability in relation to the concomitant FBS pH-value. Results: Fetuses with FBS pH ≤ 7.20 had increased spectral powers of FHR variability compared with controls (2.49 AU vs. 2.23 AU; p = 0.038). However, the subgroup of most affected fetuses (those with FBS pH ≤ 7.10) had signi fi cantly lower FHR variability spectral powers when compared to fetuses with FBS pH 7.11 – 7.20. Conclusions: This study shows that spectral powers of FHR variability change as a fetus becomes hypoxic, and that spectral powers decrease with deepening fetal acidemia.