“We want gas and air to be available for women and….”

Birthing people = women

So: gas and air need to be available for women.

I don’t understand how broadcasters can use these nonsensical phrases while keeping a straight face.

Do midwives on a delivery suite say that they need to pop into room 4 to check on the “birthing person” in there?

Birthing people to me always reads as the people supporting the woman in labour i.e. the midwives, nurses and doctors.

Seeing as the whole problem is that these NHS staff are being overexposed to gas and air due to poor ventilation, it seems a bit ludicrous to use confusing language like this.

Yes this issue does need addressing doesn't it?

Maybe it's easy for me to say as I didn't get on with gas and air myself. The midwife tried really hard to make me keep doing it but it made me feel sick. It was a distraction, at best, and did nothing to dampen the pain.

Yeah what's wrong with this?

I might be being naive here. But it's all about getting gas and air to everyone who is giving birth even if they don't see themselves as a woman

If we accept 'women and' we're accepting that there are people other than women who give birth. I don't think it's a coincidence that this is being adopted as a 'compromise'. We all know where it can lead when we think 'Oh let it go, it doesn't matter'. I think we need to hold the line.

There are other linguistic compromises I might accept - they're long and clunky but that's ok by me, let people see how long winded and tongue-tying it is.

It’s not just tm. You gotta remember the super special NB

How many transmen are actually giving birth each year anyway? Apparently in 2019 it was 22. It doesn't seem like the order of scale that necessitates all these protracted and obfuscatory caveats unless that number has shifted hugely. And of that number, how many are delivering vaginally and using gas and air for pain relief? At this point, with such diminishing numbers, it might be as useful to refer to 'Women and also John, Barry and Fred' on national segments on this topic.

NMC and RCM guidance is to add to language, rather than takeaway which means the word women has to stay. It’s not ideal but at least we will not be in a position where certain words which are integral to maternity services ( and life in general) like women, mothers and breastfeeding etc are eradicated.

RCM

It won't work that way because everyone really knows who's who.

You're happy to be lied to by a news programme? It's sad we've given up so much...

I don't care if some women want to be known as birthing people, as long as woman who want to be known as woman are included.

No, I agree only women give birth, but I’ve gotten to the point now where I can accept additional language as long as woman is first in the sentence.

That's very much the problem isn't it. The midwives (male and female, but it's worse for the female ones) are getting the gas and air whether they want it or not.

“..and birthing people” makes it sound like they want it for all the people helping with the birth, the partner, the midwives, obstetricians. Gas and air for EVERYONE! Like Oprah.

But they said women. If you don't believe there's anyone else then just ignore the bit after the and?

If they want to waste printer ink and airtime with the "and" stuff, go ahead, I don't care. Keep the word woman in and women's health language ascribed to women. Add whatever bullshit makes your interns happy if you can afford to waste it.

Well on the plus side, if they make it about men it's more likely that a safe solution for actual women will be found. We all know how it works.

Well…at least they said women

I’m happy to compromise with women AND birthing people. I’m not happy to completely eradicate the word woman