A conference being held in Dublin today is focusing on ensuring the very best practice in active labour management for midwives.
Experts from Britain will be in attendance to advise on cutting edge technology in midwifery for participants from both sides of the border.
The General Secretary of the Irish Nurses Organisation, Liam Doran, says expectant mothers will ultimately benefit.
"What we are trying to do is to benchmark what is best practise today about active labour management, when it is right to intervene, when it is not right to intervene in terms of the midwife and the medical person, to ensure that the mother has the most comfortable birth in the most natural way."