Obstetric management of labour, delivery, and vaginal birth after caesarean delivery

This chapter describes the events surrounding normal and abnormal labour and delivery with particular relevance to the anaesthetist. The first two sections explain the course of a normal labour, delivery, and third stage. Subsequently attention is paid to obstructed labour, delivery, and prolonged third stage. Since induction of labour has become common practice in many pathological conditions, several methods of induction and their complications are then discussed. Next, some basic knowledge about intrapartum fetal monitoring is presented, followed by some specific and potentially complicated situations such as shoulder dystocia, operative vaginal delivery, caesarean delivery, breech delivery, twin birth, and vaginal birth after previous caesarean delivery.