Innovative Service Approaches to Early Labour Support

Chapter 9 explores service changes designed to support women on contact with maternity services and following admission in early labour. These can be classified into two groups: (1) services designed to support women prior to hospital admission, such as labour lines and video calling, and (2) services located close to or within the hospital, such as nesting rooms and early labour wards. In some cases, organisations may offer both services as part of an integrated approach to early labour support. The chapter concludes with a case study from Denmark where organisational change resulted in a service offering responsive and holistic early phase labour care in a large municipal maternity unit.