Cathy Warwick, general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, offered support for her colleague.
Louise Silverton, deputy general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives, welcomed the report.
The Royal College of Midwives, which represents the profession, echoed his call for a cut in hours.
The Royal College of Midwives said it was particularly concerned about regional variations.
Mothers who have just given birth should receive the swine flu vaccine, the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) has warned.
"Our society is failing these women and their babies, " said Cathy Warwick, general secretary of the Royal College of Midwives.
Jane Munro, of the Royal College of Midwives, said the guidelines should help ensure standardised and consistent care for women.
The Royal College of Midwives warned last month that maternity units were "under intense strain" and were at a "crucial tipping point".
Delegates at the Royal College of Midwives conference asked the union's governing council to consider balloting the 37, 000 members over industrial action.
The Royal College of Midwives said it would study the report carefully.
The Royal College of Midwives said the figures were disappointing as one in four babies being delivered by Caesarean was "simply too many".
It has been criticised by the Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Nurses and the British Medical Association and local politicians.
The Royal College of Midwives said service changes were already underway and that it was hard to see what was different in the Conservative offerings.
On Thursday night the academy held talks with the three major unions - the British Medical Association, Royal College of Nursing and Royal College of Midwives.
Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, said the survey showed an urgent need to identify and help women with antenatal and postnatal depression.
Unions, including the British Medical Association, the Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives are among those who also want it to be withdrawn.
Sue Macdonald, of the Royal College of Midwives, said medical staff tried to avoid separating mother and child if possible, but said it happened from "time to time".
In this week's Scrubbing Up, Prof Cathy Warwick, chief executive of the Royal College of Midwives, outlines her fears about the "commercialisation and the commodification of pregnancy and childbirth".
The Royal College of Nursing and the Royal College of Midwives have not balloted their members, but some nurses who are part of the Unison trade union have joined the strikes.
The Royal College of Midwives is concerned that due to staff shortages women may not be getting the postnatal support they need from midwives whilst they establish breastfeeding in the early days after birth.
BBC: More mums opt to breastfeed but few stick at it, figures show
The report was commissioned as part of a wide ranging review of services in the region by the Royal College of Midwives, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Royal College of Paediatricians.
BBC: NEWS | UK | Wales | South West Wales | Service fear at maternity report
Mr Burnham used his speech at the Royal College of Midwives on Friday to pledge tougher action, saying he had told the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to investigate if any other hospitals had similar issues.
Most women already have choice and one-to-one maternity care, and we are working closely with the Royal College of Midwives to ensure that personalised, one to one maternity care is available for every woman across the country.
BBC: Booming birth rate 'a strain on NHS midwifery services'
The possibility of midwives asking their patients more questions about the procedure comes after the Crown Prosecution Service launched an action plan in November to target FGM and moves by the Royal College of Midwives to improve its own monitoring efforts.
BBC: Midwife 'role' as NHS targets female genital mutilation
The BMA, the Royal College of Nurses and the Royal College of Midwives have all opposed the proposals, with some critics claiming it is unworkable and "backdoor privatisation", forcing Prime Minister David Cameron to "pause" the proposed shake-up in April last year.
In a survey of over 6, 000 women carried out by the Royal College of Midwives and NetMums last year, 61% said their midwife did not have enough time to discuss their concerns about weight management and nutrition, meaning many women may embark on pregnancy without having discussed how to manage their weight at this important time.
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