I recently finished reading the new book Birth Space, Safe Place by Adela Stockton (watch for my full review and a giveaway on the CfM blog next week!). The author lives in Scotland and something in the book’s glossary jumped out and caught my eye. The word was “diamorphine” and the definition was: “a semi-synthetic opoid for labour—only adnimistered in Scotland; another name for heroin.”

The irony that giving heroin to women in labor is considered a medically acceptable practice, but that “letting” a woman labor without an IV or in water—as some of many examples—is considered unsafe or risky is so boggling my mind that I can’t even comment any further!