The Assessment of Progress by Midwife Thinking

http://midwifethinking.com/2011/09/14/the-assessment-of-progress/

"The idea that birth should be efficient originated in the 17th century when men used science to re-define birth [1]. The body was conceptualised as a machine and birth became a process with stages, measurements, timelines, and mechanisms. This belief continues to underpin our approach to childbirth today."