Text box 4.

Vignette: In labour or not?.

One midwife with long experience told the ethnographer how she collects information from the women. When a woman is admitted, she not only asks about her obstetrical data, but she also wants to know about the woman´s whole life. This included her mother’s and other family member’s childbirths. She listens to each woman’s individual story, collects information, and then uses this knowledge in her care. This midwife was observed when she cared for a woman having no obvious signs of labour; she had no contractions and the previous cervix status showed only a minor opening. According to the guidelines, the woman should be sent home. However, this did not concern the midwife, and after she had made her examination and observations she concluded: “This will be a good birth, the woman has the right attitude; she wants a normal birth and her mother also wanted a vaginal birth when she gave birth to her daughter. She must stay”. One hour later the woman had stronger contractions.