Delivery methods

There is definitely a wide range of possibilities when delivering a baby.  I am working with both nurse midwives and doctors old enough to be archives.

I tend to enjoy the philosophy of the midwives...which value natural vs sterile.  As an example - and these are extremes: One of the nurse midwives just uses the hospital bed - doesn't put up stirrups or anything. She puts on a pair of gloves, but no gown.  She sits on the end of the bed and after the babies head is delivered, she has the mom reach down and help pull out their own baby straight up onto their stomach.  This is in sharp contrast to one of the old time doctors. He not only uses the stirrups- but places drapes over everything for "cleanliness", over legs, stomach, everywhere.  There is a bright surgery light that comes down from the ceiling that he uses and what really makes me laugh is that he goes to scrub before the delivery.  Scrubbing is what surgeons do before surgery - it requires special soap and about 5 minutes of sudsy scrubbing. He gowns and gloves up then, including a big mask, as if it was surgery.

The ironic thing is that a vaginal birth is anything but clean. Imagine having just swam through a sewer canal underground...how important to your health is what's beyond the canal opening?  Not too important when you are already covered in grime. 

I'd say my technique is mid ground. I haven't asked any moms to reach down and grab their babies yet... but i do like delivering into the bed.  I imagine back in the time of home deliveries and around the world, this is how they do it.