Midwifery

The authors - social scientists and midwifery practitioners - reflect on regional differences in the emerging profession, providing a systematic account of its historical, local, and international roots, its evolving regulatory status, and the degree to which it has been integrated into several mainstream provincial health care systems. They also examine the nature of midwifery training, accessibility, and effectiveness across diverse ethnic and socio-economic groups, highlighting the key issues facing the profession before, during, and in the immediate post-integration era in each province.

Known as the “bible†of midwifery, this new edition of Varney's Midwifery has been extensively revised and updated to reflect the full scope of current midwifery practice in a balance of art and science, a blend of spirituality and evidence-based care, and a commitment to being with women.

The perfect companion for student midwives in clinical settings, packed full of useful and practical information to help guide and enable you to get the best out of your midwifery placements. This compact, portable text includes what to expect on each type of placement – whether it be working in a low or high risk environment – from how to prepare for practice, what you can anticipate whilst you’re there, the key essential skills to acquire, what pitfalls and problems to be aware of, and how to deal with them if they do arise. Each chapter contains ‘Top Tips’ from current or recently qualified midwifery students, as well as real life student experiences and suggestions for further readings.

Decision-making pervades all aspects of midwifery practice across the world. Midwifery is informed by a number of decision-making theories, but it is sometimes difficult to marry these theories with practice. This book provides a comprehensive exploration of decision-making for midwives irrespective of where in the world they practice or in which model of care. The first part critically reviews decision-making theories, including the Enhancing Decision-making Assessment in Midwifery (EDAM) tool, and their relevance to midwifery. It explores the links between midwifery governance, including professional regulation and the law, risk and safety and decision-making as well as how critical thinking and reflection are essential elements of decision-making. It then goes on to present a number of diverse case studies, demonstrating how they interrelate to and impact upon optimal midwifery decision-making. Each chapter presents examples that show how the theory translates into practice and includes activities to reinforce learning points. Bringing together a diverse range of contributors, this volume will be essential reading for midwifery students, practising midwives and midwifery academics.

Obstructed Labour analyzes how the movement to legalize midwifery in Ontario reproduced racial inequality by excluding from practice hundreds of professional midwives from the global south. Global macroprocesses of power, institutional forms of exclusion, and interpersonal expressions of racism all play a part. Sheryl Nestel shows that unequal relations between women underlie the successful challenge to patriarchal medical authority mounted by provincial midwifery activists. This is a disquieting but fascinating counter-history of the re-emergence of midwifery.