Intrapartum care–updated summary of NICE guidance

In 2021, there were around 650 000 births in England and Wales.1 Most of these births were the result of a straightforward pregnancy, where labour occurred spontaneously at term (37-42 weeks) and the woman gave birth to a single baby without complications. The advice and care that women receive around where to plan their place of birth, pain relief during labour, and management of labour affect their overall experience, and could impact both their mental and physical health and the health of their babies.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) first published guidelines on intrapartum care for healthy women and babies in 2014, and these were updated in 2017. This article summarises a selection of new and updated recommendations, and focuses on those where new evidence has emerged that has led to a change in advice and recommendations involving shared decision making between the woman and the healthcare professional.

The recommendations included in this summary use the terms “woman” or “mother” throughout; however, they apply also to people who do not identify as women but who are pregnant or have given birth.