Growing numbers of women are being left alone during labour in UK hospitals, two British reports show today.
And the growing use of stirrups to aid birth also attracted criticism from some campaigners.
In England some 25% of women reported being left alone at some stage during birth while in Scotland the figure was 20%.
The English figures emerged in a Care Quality Commission report on maternity services while similar statistics were published by the Scottish government.
The CQC found that stirrups were using in 22% of natural births – compared with 17% five years ago.
Elizabeth Duff, of the National Childbirth Trust, accused the NHS of going back to the Victorian era.
She said: “This is a real step back to the past – this is going back to practices that were favoured 50 or 60 years ago, that sound like something from the Victorian era.
“It is not dignified or comfortable; when you leave women flat on their back you are reducing their pelvic capacity so that means the process of labour is likely to be longer and more painful – the baby is basically having to go uphill.”
But Dr Patrick O’Brien, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: "We must emphasise that women should be encouraged and helped to find a position that is most comfortable for them, whether it’s upright, walking or recumbent.
"Stirrups are not dangerous, the most important thing is for a woman to feel comfortable and in control as positioning can have a psychological impact on the women’s experience of labour."
He said the overall findings were "promising" showing improvements in continuity of care, choice of place a birth and treatment of women with compassion, dignity and respect.
Hospitals chief inspector Professor Sir Mike Richards said: “Every single woman deserves to be treated with dignity and personalised care when having a baby, and so I am glad that the findings suggest women are experiencing better care and treatment during pregnancy and birth."
* The Scottish survey found that 92% of women were positive about their experience of labour after birth. This fell to 85% for care in hospital after birth.
* Another report released today gives the first "league table" of perinatal mortality by hospital across the UK.
The figures have emerged from MBRRACE-UK, which undertakes regular audits of deaths in infancy and childbirth.
The tables suggest that many hospitals should undertake local reviews of maternity and post-natal care because of relatively high mortality rates.
Professor David Field, of Leicester University, joint perinatal lead for MBRRACE-UK, said: “These data provide NHS Trusts and Health Boards from around the UK with the clearest insight yet in helping them understand their performance against their peers.
"Whilst there is always room for improvement the data flags those Trusts and Health Boards which need to review their performance as a priority.”
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