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I think Rhonda that in the USA this was the time period that a Dr. De Lee
came into his own with episiotomies: wonder of wonders. Forceps were also used
quite routinely as well as restraint for mothers (amazingly enough they did tend
to thrash around a fair bit though supposedly not being "in pain". I have read
in the intro or first chapter of Jean Sutton's book "Optimal Foetal Positioning"
that despite this, up to 80% of women delivered without operative procedures,
though this probably did not include episiotomy which had become pretty standard
at the time. "Twilight sleep" was quite different fom chloroform. I think the
childbirth education movement of the 50's and 60's in the USA saw the demise of
the popular use of twilight sleep. Also the American College of Nurse Midwives
was formed in the mid 1950's (1954 I think) and they were instrumental in
removing it as a method of pain relief in many though not all hospitals
over time. In many ways I think yoiu could say that twilight sleep gave birth to
the natural childbirth movement and consumer advocacy in childbirth as well as
homebirth and many of the many forms of midwifery in the USA.
marilyn
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