There's an article in the Independent today about a report which shows that 1 in 6 women are still giving birth on their backs with their feet up in stirrups, a position rightly described in the article as ""physiologically inappropriate".
(unnecessarily excruciatingly painful might have been another good description).
This is the bit that's got my goat ...
"Mervi Jokinen, practice and standards adviser at the Royal College of Midwives, said the apparent high use of stirrups may have arisen from a misunderstanding by the women responding to the survey. "I am very sceptical how women perceived this. When you are suturing a woman she will have her legs in stirrups and she may see this as part of the birth,""
I'm sorry but we know the difference between giving birth and having a suture done! How patronising 
She's heard something she doesn't like the sound of but instead of actually listening to the women in the survey she's dismissing their experiences because they must be a little confused, poor dears 
It's a good thing though, because it reminds me I still need to get round to complaining about the midwife at my birth, who did insist that I was on my back with my feet in stirrups. She also refused to explain why this was necessary - despite me and DP repeatedly asking her. She made it impossible to fight against in the end by simply refusing to communicate with me if I was in another position. And this was in a labour when the 5 attempts at giving me an epidural all failed, so I was in absolute agony.
What are your experiences?
Have other people found they were encouraged onto their backs and into stirrups unnecessarily? I do hope not, as it was not something I'd wish on anyone but if there are a few I'd like to send this thread to this woman so she can see it does go on, and can perhaps look at what the Royal College of Midwives can do to stop this barbaric practice.