Can midwives promote normality in an occipitoposterior labour through autonomous practice?

It is common practice for epidural analgesia to be offered to women in labour with a suspected occipito-posterior (OP) position. Therefore, this article will challenge whether this practice ensures informed choice and optimal outcomes. Based on a case study, I will explore how midwives can promote normality in an OP labour through autonomous practice. My intuition was that Jane (a pseudonym) may not have consented to an epidural had she known the risks, and as a result, she might have achieved a spontaneous vaginal birth. Midwives should be practising according to non-maleficence, therefore doing no harm (Cluett and Bluff 2006). With the complications associated with epidurals, should midwives question their role in a suspected OP labour?