that contractions in sitting positions are not as effective as in side-lying and standing positions. Forced to sit in this position with their bodies strapped to a fetal monitor, many women then rely upon drugs to speed up the contractions. The ritualistic purpose of this procedure is to convey the message to women that they are vulnerable and require the care of the hospital. Women who are allowed to walk around challenge this conception of weakness (Davis-Floyd, 1992, pp. 86-8).
What is even more impressive is Davis-Floyd's discussion of certain hospital procedures that endanger the lives of the women, such as the use of IV (Davis-Floyd, 1992, pp. 93-4). Analgesia administered to women often gives side effects after birth not only to the
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