Spiritual Midwifery


Book Description

The classic book on home birth. Stories of the experiences of parents and midwives during the birth process plus a technical manual for midwives, nurses, and doctors. Includes information on prenatal care and nutrition, labor, delivery techniques, care of the new baby, and breast-feeding.




A History of Midwifery in the United States


Book Description

Written by two of the professionís most prominent midwifery leaders, this authoritative history of midwifery in the United States, from the 1600s to the present, is distinguished by its vast breadth and depth. The book spans the historical evolution of midwives as respected, autonomous health care workers and midwifery as a profession, and considers the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities for this discipline as enduring motifs throughout the text. It surveys the roots of midwifery, the beginnings of professional practice, the founding of educational institutions and professional organizations, and entry pathways into the profession. Woven throughout the text are such themes as the close link between midwives and the communities in which they live, their view of pregnancy and birth as normal life events, their efforts to promote health and prevent illness, and their dedication to being with women wherever they may be and in whatever health condition and circumstances they may be in. The text examines the threats to midwifery past and present, such as the increasing medicalization of childbearing care, midwiferyís lack of a common identity based on education and practice standards, the mix of legal recognition, and reimbursement issues for midwifery practice. Illustrations and historical photos depict the many facets of midwifery, and engaging stories provide cultural and spiritual content. This is a ìmust-haveî for all midwives, historians, professional and educational institutions, and all those who share a passion for the history of midwifery and women. Key Features: Encompasses the most authoritative and comprehensive information available about the history of midwifery in the United States Considers the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities for midwifery Illustrated with historical photos and drawings Includes engaging stories filled with cultural and spiritual content, introductory quotes to each chapter, and plentiful chapter notes Written by two preeminent leaders in the field of midwifery




Laboring


Book Description

Midwife Ellen Cohen delivered 1,400 babies in New York City hospitals during a career of more than twenty years. In this compelling first-person narrative she transports you into her world at the bedside in the maternity wards where childbirth dramas take place. In the challenging environment of urban clinics and crowded labor rooms the midwife strives to bring personalized care, dignity and a sense of empowerment to every patient. Like an updated U.S. version of "Call the Midwife," the British best seller and television series, this book describes some of the most unforgettable births, the most heartwarming -- and the rare heartbreaking -- experiences of her career. Memorable patients include Mia, a mentally ill woman whose stomach ache turns out to be a baby; teenager Shaniqua who breezes through birth despite her youth; and Jeremiah, a little boy born HIV-infected who captures the love of the entire staff. Through these stories, readers will gain insight into many variations in pregnancy and birth, and learn what is special about the midwifery approach to care. You may be surprised to learn how similar Cohen's patients' childbirth experiences were to your own, and where they differed.




Childbirth, Midwifery and Concepts of Time


Book Description

All cultures are concerned with the business of childbirth, so much so that it can never be described as a purely physiological or even psychological event. This volume draws together work from a range of anthropologists and midwives who have found anthropological approaches useful in their work. Using case studies from a variety of cultural settings, the writers explore the centrality of the way time is conceptualized, marked and measured to the ways of perceiving and managing childbirth: how women, midwives and other birth attendants are affected by issues of power and control, but also actively attempt to change established forms of thinking and practice. The stories are engaging as well as critical and invite the reader to think afresh about time, and about reproduction.




Baby Catcher


Book Description

In this engaging account of her career as a midwife, Vincent describes the hilarious, sometimes frightening, events surrounding the appearance of a new human being. More than a collection of unforgettable stories, "Baby Catcher" is a clarion call for a less technological, more personalized approach to childbirth in this country.




Hard Pushed


Book Description

Life on the NHS front line, working within a system at breaking point, is more extreme than you could ever imagine. From the bloody to the beautiful, from moments of utter vulnerability to remarkable displays of strength, from camaraderie to raw desperation, from heart-wrenching grief to the pure, perfect joy of a new-born baby, midwife Leah Hazard has seen it all




More Than a Midwife


Book Description

In More Than A Midwife, veteran midwife and doula Mary Sommers shares stories of glory, grace and joy, as well as heartbreak and tragedy, experienced through her 20-plus years of working with mothers and their infants. Mary has attended and assisted at more than 1,000 births in the United States, Mexico, Africa, and Europe.




Stories in Midwifery


Book Description

This insightful book and accompanying video resource present a collection of perspectives relating to different issues around birthing and midwifery. Through the voices of mothers, midwives, students, health professionals and family members, you will build empathy and understanding, reflect, and learn to apply innovative approaches in your own practice. The book covers a range of topics, such as midwifery continuity of care, place of birth, multiple pregnancy, complex pregnancies, congenital birth abnormalities, supporting culturally and linguistically diverse women, anxiety and depression, and working with women with physical and/or intellectual disabilities. Stories in midwifery provides teaching and learning strategies ideal for students and practising midwives alike. Readers will develop the skills, attitudes and mindfulness necessary for working in partnership with women, childbearing people and their families across a variety of settings. - 22 chapters addressing a range of topics across the childbearing continuum - 35 video 'personal stories' across a range of topics related to pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period - A framework for reflection, inquiry and action – relates stories to your own practice - Teaching and learning strategies for each story - Weblinks, references and further reading to support learning - Transcripts of all interviews included at the back of the book - An eBook (with videos embedded) included in all print purchases - Supports midwifery curricula; suitable for both undergraduate and postgraduate levels - New topics identified by student midwives as the areas where they need supporting resources to help consolidate learning - 4 new chapters - 11 new videos




Survivor Moms


Book Description

"A resource for women and their care providers".




At Work in the Field of Birth


Book Description

At Work in the Field of Birth is an ethnographic study of midwifery in Canada in the wake of its historic transition from the margins as a grassroots social movement devoted to low-tech, woman-centered care to a regulated profession within the public health care system. In January 1994, after decades of lobbying by midwives and their supporters, the province of Ontario recognized midwifery as a profession for the first time in more than a century. Through stories about becoming and being a midwife and stories about receiving midwifery care, this book describes how fundamental tenets of midwifery philosophy and practice--the meaning of tradition, natural birth, and home birth, and the place of medical technology in midwifery--are being reworked by the practical and ideological challenges of midwifery's new place within the formal health care system. MacDonald presents contemporary midwifery as a complex cultural system in which "nature" and "tradition" emerge as dynamic rather than esssentialized social categories of meaning and experience.