Women are well used to being rubbed up the wrong way by their partners during childbirth, writes Katherine MacAlister. Now a new technique from a Kidlington midwife is set to get the chaps rubbing them up the right way instead.

Linda Kimber's massage programme is already a huge hit with Oxfordshire mums lucky enough to have come across her.

But there's an added potential bonus to the revolutionary technique. Linda believes it could actually help to relieve the nationwide shortage of midwives. The midwife crisis is enough to send shivers down the spine of any expectant mum. The John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford is just one of many affected by the shortfall, and existing midwives are under huge pressure - which may ironically help to account for the falling numbers.

The bottom line is that there just aren't enough hands to go round.

But Linda thinks she may have cracked the problem with her massage programme. Not only does it aid labour and give the birthing partner a far greater role, it also frees up midwives during the early stages of birth. Helen and Phil Evan-Jones, of Banbury, used the technique during the birth of their daughter Niamh last month.

Although the couple hadn't learned the technique before they went into hospital, they wanted as natural a birth as possible, and Linda taught them the technique on the spot.

Helen, 34, says: "Linda showed us how to do it and it was easy to pick up, especially from my husband's point of view. He could instantly see how calming and effective it was.

"We used it almost the whole way through but as I was induced it got harder when I had to be monitored. The back massage was the best, and certainly effective as pain relief. "Linda had to leave us alone several times, which in a way we preferred. We weren't scared but continued with the massage.

"I wish we had known about it before but it certainly meant that we could work as a unit.

"Phil's main fear was that he wouldn't be able to help when I was in so much pain, but through the massage he did and we worked alongside each other.

"I think this programme should be introduced into all ante-natal classes."

Linda's programme was compiled after interviewing 50 local expectant couples about how massage could help them. She taught each couple the technique, helped out in at least half of the births and then interviewed them all again afterwards.

She says: "All of them found the massage hugely beneficial, even if they needed an epidural.

"But I must stress it is a programme of massage that must be taught and given by the partner. Anyone can massage, but this is specific."

The technique helps pain relief and breathing, and the continuous rhythmic movement has an almost hypnotic effect which often reduces the need for drugs. "If a couple can do this on their own when the labour starts, it can free up midwives for the more urgent cases until the couple needs them.

"At the moment, couples are panicking when they're left on their own because they don't know what to do or what's happening, and are more likely to end up having an epidural.

"This involves an anaesthetist and the woman then requires a midwife with her at all times. It also means the woman is more likely to need a forceps delivery or caesarean section, because she can't push as well. So the lack of midwives has a knock-on effect.

"Giving the control back to the couple changes this. And it also employs the partner, who often feels like a spare part." Margaret Brock, senior midwife and manager of the delivery suite at the John Radcliffe Hospital, says: "We have got some of Linda's videos here and massage and aromatherapy are used a lot. There is an enormous place for complementary medicine techniques.

"We have got the same midwife shortage problems as the rest of the country, although we are actively recruiting new midwives all the time.

"At the moment, we are also being hit by maternity leave. We usually cater for eight cases a year and so far have had 21 so this, too, is affecting our staffing levels. "But we endeavour to provide one-on-one care for labour, although 60 per cent of our staff are now part-time."

Linda is already teaching her programme to midwives in Banbury, so that even if couples haven't learned the process before birth, they can be taught some quick techniques in the labour ward.

She has also lectured in Zimbabwe, where the massage is already being used.

Linda has been a midwife for 17 years in Oxford and Banbury, and has also trained as an aromatherapist, reflexologist and masseur. Her background puts her in a good position to measure how cost-cutting has affected her profession. She says: "Couples used to get a compulsory home visit at 36 weeks to discuss the labour. I think this was a vital step in preparing them for the birth and allowing them to air any worries and ask any questions in the privacy of their own homes.

"It was especially beneficial for men, who are often reluctant to ask specific questions or admit their fears in front of lots of people at their ante-natal class. But cuts meant that this visit was stopped, which is really sad. "When I started there were certainly a lot more midwives and we didn't work under such huge pressure."

But Linda stresses that the massage technique is far from a soft option.

"I'm not saying the programme is easy. Massaging someone every three minutes for 12 hours is hard work. But the partner would much rather take part than feel helpless against preventing the pain."

Story date: Tuesday 26 October

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