Lamaze in America: 20 Years Later

Abstract

As 1980 marks the twentieth anniversary of the introduction of Organize Lamaze in America, it is time to pause and reflect on the phenomenon of a social movement which revolutionized traditional obstetric care. Traditional care consisted largely of “twilight sleep,” episiotomy, and mid-forceps delivery. Lamaze preparation, advocating informed consent, active participation, and self-determination, drew strength from the groundswell of consumerism that clearly emerged in the late 1960s and early 1970s.