This book offers an overview of the emotional care given by midwives to women based on the literature reviews and research undertaken by Sue Barker. Its chapters are mostly based around the questions she asked herself when exploring the area: What is motherhood? Who supports women at this time? What is emotional care? What are the experiences of midwives offering emotional care? What is emotion work? How does emotional care help women? She considers a wide range of literature sources to understand what is happening for the midwives and the women. Given the extensive use of referenced work the book should be useful for those thinking of undertaking a midwifery programme or those already engaged on any health care programmes. This book, though, is written with an easily accessible language so should be a useful source for voluntary groups and women on their journey to motherhood. Midwifery care and motherhood are influenced by the culture within which they are experienced. This book has therefore considered the cultural hegemony and the differing ideologies within midwifery. The research was undertaken in the UK where most women receive midwifery care through the NHS therefore the midwives interviewed were all employed by the state. This may well have influenced their expectations and the women’s expectations of them. It may be that independent midwives would not have experienced some of the dilemmas faced by these midwives. Despite this the view of midwifery professional bodies, government guidance and research all support a ‘with woman’ approach to giving emotional support. This book offers a detailed description of how emotional support as part of emotional care is given by midwives in their attempts to reduce or ameliorate emotional distress and provide comfort.

The main aim of this practical Handbookis to strengthen counselling and communication skills of skilled attendants (SAs) and other health providers, helping them to effectively discuss with women, families and communities the key issues surrounding pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, postnatal and post-abortion care. Counselling for Maternal and Newborn Health Careis divided into three main sections. Part 1 is an introduction which describes the aims and objectives and the general layout of the Handbook. Part 2 describes the counselling process and outlines the six key steps to effective counselling. It explores the counselling context and factors that influence this context including the socio-economic, gender, and cultural environment. A series of guiding principles is introduced and specific counselling skills are outlined. Part 3 focuses on different maternal and newborn health topics, including general care in the home during pregnancy; birth and emergency planning; danger signs in pregnancy; post-abortion care; support during labor; postnatal care of the mother and newborn; family planning counselling; breastfeeding; women with HIV/AIDS; death and bereavement; women and violence; linking with the community. Each Session contains specific aims and objectives, clearly outlining the skills that will be developed and corresponding learning outcomes. Practical activities have been designed to encourage reflection, provoke discussions, build skills and ensure the local relevance of information. There is a review at the end of each session to ensure the SAs have understood the key points before they progress to subsequent sessions.

The delivery of high quality and equitable care for both mothers and newborns is complex and requires efforts across many sectors. The United States spends more on childbirth than any other country in the world, yet outcomes are worse than other high-resource countries, and even worse for Black and Native American women. There are a variety of factors that influence childbirth, including social determinants such as income, educational levels, access to care, financing, transportation, structural racism and geographic variability in birth settings. It is important to reevaluate the United States' approach to maternal and newborn care through the lens of these factors across multiple disciplines. Birth Settings in America: Outcomes, Quality, Access, and Choice reviews and evaluates maternal and newborn care in the United States, the epidemiology of social and clinical risks in pregnancy and childbirth, birth settings research, and access to and choice of birth settings.

This accessible, evidence-based book explores how important it is for midwives to understand the psychological aspects of care, in order to create positive experiences for mothers and families. The book provides simple explanations for why psychological care matters in midwifery practice and uses different theoretical perspectives of psychology to illustrate how it fundamentally contributes to good midwifery practice. The book addresses many core concepts and principles of psychology, including: Mother-midwife relationship Emotions during the childbearing continuum Perinatal mental illness Communications in midwifery practice The birth environment Stress and anxiety Providing support to families Attachment and bonding Reflective questions, activities, illustrations, tables, summary boxes and a glossary help readers navigate the book.Psychology for Midwives is essential reading for all midwives, students and allied health care professionals interested in the psychological dimensions of childbearing.

Midwifery Continuity of Care is a robust ‘how to’ guide to establishing midwifery continuity of care. Written by a team of international experts in their field, this book highlights lessons learned to help develop new ways of planning, implementing, evaluating and sustaining midwifery continuity of care for the benefit of women, babies and communities. Summarises the evidence for midwifery continuity of care to support policy makers, commissioners of maternity services and health service executives with their implementation of midwifery continuity of care Practical real world examples, stories and experiences to bring to life the diversity of ways that midwifery continuity of care can be implemented Highlights a range of issues for managers and leaders to be aware of, including organisational, industrial and safety and quality issues Explores how building alliances can enable midwifery continuity of care to flourish, addressing scaling up and sustainability Evolve Student and Faculty Resources: eBook on VitalSource An inspirational video interview with author, Jane Sandall

This book informs and enlighten health professionals on how the recognition of fearing women can change their episode of care during childbearing. It gives practical advice on the way women present to services and the challenges that this invokes. This work is the first of its kind aimed at clinicians to deconstruct ideology around childbearing myths and its challenges. The authors review the evidence that exists and how modern maternity systems are responding to fear and shaping healthcare. Whilst some worry and anxiety is expected and indeed considered normal during childbearing, it has been suggested that this has now proliferated to a degree of abnormal for many women. Why is that and how is this panic spread? Media portrayal of birth is suggested as unrealistic material and to show only that which is dramatic and horrific. This has been considered as one factor influencing modern women. Medicalisation, technology and demand upon services is another consequence of providing almost all maternity care in hospitals. Given that the majority of childbearing women are fit and healthy is this another causative factor? By removing women from their homes and families at such a vulnerable time has a serious consequence for how she will experience her greatest leap of faith into motherhood. All of these issues are explored and examined in the book with ideas and practical suggestions of what may be done to change this increasingly common problem. This book is intended at midwives and clinicians working in maternity settings.

This book considers the broad range of support given to mothers including social, psychological and clinical. It also looks at the provision of this service and how different models have been set up internationally to fulfill this important function. It brings together the latest research findings, which examine the nature of care that is provided and consider what constitutes effective and efficient support. This aspect of care is considered a crucial part of the increasing and expanding role of the midwife. The ability of midwives to provide ongoing support throughout childbearing is one of the features of midwifery care which distinguishes it from other care providers. This is a feature which is common to the resurgence of midwifery throughout the world and therefore this text will have international appeal.

'Postnatal' is the fourth title in the Midwifery Essentials series and explores contemporary postnatal care for women and their families, exploring the role of the midwife as a member of the multi-professional team. This book thoroughly prepares the reader to provide safe, evidence-based, woman-centred postnatal care for mothers and their babies. The postnatal examination of the woman, and the baby check Care of the baby in the immediate postnatal period The features of the normal neonate The newborn clinical examination Hospital postnatal care and caesarean section The role of the community midwife and emotional wellbeing Postnatal fertility control Issues involved in supporting the woman to feed her baby. The postnatal examination of the woman, and the baby check Care of the baby in the immediate postnatal period The features of the normal neonate The newborn clinical examination Hospital postnatal care and caesarean section The role of the community midwife and emotional wellbeing Postnatal fertility control Issues involved in supporting the woman to feed her baby.

With contributions from a range of leading international authors, this 'stop and make you think' book explores the many contemporary issues surrounding emotion work in reproductive healthcare. The editors, forerunners in their field, have brought together both theoretical and clinical aspects to challenge readers to consider the significance of this important topic in their day-to-day work. Using examples of maternity care and infertility settings from the UK and beyond, and with an emphasis on personal reflection throughout, the book explores the subjects of: - Emotional well-being - Client-practitioner relationships - Infertility - Loss - Breast feeding - Motherhood Emotions in Midwifery and Reproduction underlines the importance of emotions and how they are managed, experienced and negotiated in clinical settings, addressing issues that are frequently overlooked in the drive for efficiency and effectiveness in the health service. It is stimulating reading for all midwifery and nursing students and practitioners looking to understand their patients' and their own emotional needs.

What is the reality of being a midwife in the twenty-first century? What is it like to help and support women throughout pregnancy and childbirth and into motherhood? What roles can midwives play in society? This new edition of the popular text, Becoming a Midwife, explores what it is to be a midwife, looking at the factors that make midwifery such a special profession, as well as some of the challenges. The fully updated chapters cover a variety of settings and several different stages in a woman’s pregnancy, including stories from midwives working in hospitals and in the community, as managers, supervisors and educators, and as men, women, mothers and birth activists. All chapters are narrated by contributors who introduce their own theme, recount a vignette that throws light on their understandings of midwifery and reasons for becoming (or not becoming) a midwife and any subsequent career moves. Backed up by commentaries and drawing together these insights, the editors show what it means to be a midwife today. Suitable for those contemplating a career in midwifery and providing an opportunity for reflection for more experienced midwives, this thought-provoking book is an invaluable contribution to midwifery.