With the first child, the onset of labour usually takes a few hours longer than with subsequent children.Time is a key factor in every birth. To be able to relax, let go and surrender to the birthing process, you need peace, calm and patience. Mother and baby need time to produce all the birth hormones, which work in perfect harmony to set the birth process in motion and guide it. This is, of course, much easier to achieve in a home environment or at a birthing centre.

In hospitals, women whose cervix does not dilate within a certain timeframe are diagnosed with ‘weak contractions’. As part of the clinical practice, women are urged to hurry up. They are led to believe that they are unable to ‘produce’ sufficient contractions.

The real reason, however, is a time-measurement system based on average figures. Women who take longer do not meet the standard and are regarded as patients who need to be given medication. 780 minutes (13 hours) was the guideline mentioned during a question time in the German Federal parliament. According to a statement from the German Midwives’ Association (DHV), this time limit is no longer binding.

This means that the charges are calculated using the same formula, regardless of whether the birth takes a shorter or longer time. Women are out of luck if they give birth at the same time as many other women. The staff has to work hard to care for all the women, as staff numbers are rarely increased.

The tendency in hospitals to administer labour-inducing drugs on the grounds of ‘weak contractions’ runs counter to the body’s natural hormonal development, particularly in first-time mothers.

It also contravenes children’s rights, which apply to children before, during and after birth. For example, the right to life, to healthcare and to protection from violence (Articles 1, 24 and 19 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)). Violence? Newborn babies are in a state of hormonal interdependence with their mothers. When a contraction comes, the baby senses the change and slowly adjusts to it. However, if artificial labour-inducing drugs are administered, the baby must adapt to the frequency and intensity of the contractions set by the midwife. If the mother runs out of breath because the intervalls are too short, the baby also has no time to recover. The result is stress for the baby, often accompanied by poor heart sounds. (It is well known why the use of a CTG is mandatory during induced labour.) The likelihood of a caesarean section increases. And all of this without any medical necessity.

Labour-inducing drugs are produced artificially, even though they are said to be similar to natural hormones. They cause more severe pain than natural contractions. This can result in what is known as a ‘storm of contractions’. This can be very uncomfortable and exhausting for the woman in labour, as the intervals between contractions are shorter and there is no time for the mother and baby to rest. Headaches and vomiting are also common.

The expectant mother’s freedom of movement is restricted because the CTG monitor gets in her way. This usually results in a lying down position. This has been shown to make labour take longer and also poses a greater risk to the baby, as gravity cannot be utilised. Pain-relieving medication is frequently administered. This has a negative impact on the progress of labour and can lead to circulatory problems. Consequently, medication to stabilise circulation becomes necessary, with further, unforeseeable consequences.

This chain of interventions (intervention cascade) in the natural course of childbirth often culminates in a caesarean section due to the baby’s ‘poor heart rate’. Every woman has the right to give birth at her own pace, in tune with her baby. The time she needs for this must be respected. The birth is complete once the umbilical cord has stopped pulsating and the placenta has been delivered.

Time constraints: Raise this issue when you register at the hospital. Ask about the staff-to-patient ratio and the caesarean section rate. You can also ensure that your baby’s umbilical cord is allowed to pulsate before it is clamped. This will also prevent your baby from being taken away immediately after birth for a paediatric examination. This can be done an hour later.

06/2026