The rhombus of Michaelis. A key to normal birth, or the poor cousin of the RCT? Interview by Sara Wickham.

© www.sarawickham.com This article first published 2002 Practising Midwife 5(11):22-23. Republished with permission for personal use only. Page numbers do not correspond to the original. Please do not reproduce/reprint without prior permission, thank you. Midwives often talk about how we can recollect the kinds of knowledge which were held by our predecessors who attended births before they were taken over by medicalisation and moved out of the home environment. Occasionally, somebody discovers knowledge which is both ‘old’ and ‘new’, recognises its implications, and this becomes their passion. Such is the case with Jean Sutton and the rhombus of Michaelis, an area of the lower back which plays a key role in physiological birth. Much of this article is based on a discussion/interview with Jean which took place during August 2002; her words are in italics.