http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/8483149.stm

A three-month pilot of the Care Bundle scheme found 73% of women given it did not need any clinical intervention to deliver their babies.

The Caesarean rate was 13.5%, compared to 37.5% among mothers who did not take part in the pilot in the Swansea area.

The package has been shortlisted for a Royal College of Midwives award.

It was devised by consultant midwife Maggie Davies and senior midwife Elizabeth Rees at the Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Trust, which covers hospitals in Swansea, Neath and Bridgend.

Six actions for the latent stage of labour
L - Look and listen
A - assess maternal observations
T - Time
E - Encouragement
N - Non-pharmalogical pain relief
T - Telephone

Source: ABM University Trust
The early stage of labour is known as the latent phase, and the midwives believed if this stage was managed well, the woman had a better chance of having a normal delivery with less pain.

The care package offers plenty of one-to-one time to women either in person or by telephone.

The midwives listen to the mother’s concerns, offer information, care and support and help boost their confidence in their ability to give birth without intervention.

Ms Davies said: “We introduced it as a pilot across ABM between August and October 2009 and the outcomes are very encouraging.

“Not only have we had very positive feedback from the women who received the care, but midwives have also seen the benefits.”

Following the pilot which ran from August to October last year, 40 mothers’ deliveries were reviewed.

Of those who took part, 11% did not use any pain relief at all, and 21% used paracetamol to take the edge off the pain.

More women also used natural pain relief like birthing pools.

Catrin Roberts, 34, from Swansea, gave birth to her first child Jac Dafydd at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend.

She said: “I can’t praise the service enough. The midwives were reassuring and made me feel they knew what they were doing. I felt like I was having individual care.

“This was my first baby and I didn’t know what to expect and I was frightened. But they reassured me that everything was going to be OK and helped make the experience much more pleasurable.”

More ABM University Trust midwives will now be trained to use the Care Bundle, and the approach will be adapted for other areas of care for new mothers.

The RCM awards are taking place on Wednesday evening, with the ABM project in the running for a “Research into Practice” category award.