The Patient Positioning for Perineal Protection Study

It is common practice for practitioners to instruct patients to forcibly flex the hips at the time of delivery of the fetal vertex. Though this is commonplace, it is reasonable to assume that this forced stretching of the perineum at the time of fetal vertex emergence could potentially lead to higher rates of severe lacerations and their sequelae. This study will examine whether extending the hips, as compared to usual care, at the time of crowning of the fetal vertex during vaginal delivery decreases maternal perineal trauma among nulliparous women.