Birthing statistics
The statistics listed below are for the births I have attended at home, in birth centres and in hospitals. They reflect the care that has been provided to women in my care and may or may not represent your individual experience. This page is updated regularly.
The number and type of interventions in a birth will depend on many factors:
- Health and safety factors
- The decisions that are made by a woman and her care provider
- A woman's motivation to achieve the birth she has planned
Statistics:
- Normal birth (no forceps, vacuum or caesarean): 87%
- Caesarean 6%
- Vacuum 3%
- Forceps 4%
- VBAC 86%
- Episiotomy 3%
- Intact perineum 64%
- 6% women use an epidural for labour
- 79% women use no medical forms of pain relief in labour
- 10% women are induced
Statistics for first babies:
- Normal birth (no forceps, vacuum or caesarean): 88%
- Caesarean 6%
- Vacuum 3%
- Forceps 3%