Midwives Emotional Care Of Women Becoming Mothers

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.

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.

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.

Current maternity policy advocates choice and control for women in maternity care, and promotes women as active childbirth consumers and decision-makers. However, evidence that women receive true choice within contemporary maternity services is lacking, and continued and pervasive barriers to choice continue to have profound consequences for many. Choice, Control and Contemporary Childbirth explores the narrative childbirth experiences of a group of women, outlining current policy and providing an overview of the relevant discourses to which women are exposed when making choices for maternity care. This book is unique in presenting narratives that reveal varying identities for women across their maternity exerience, illustrating how maternity choices are simulataneously promised and constrained. It provides practitioners, service providers and policymakers in maternity care, and all those with an interest in birth provision, with profound insights into both women's experiences of childbirth and how choices can be better facilitated in future. 'Maternal choice and control are a challenge in contemporary society, with the changing demography of the population, the rising birth rate and financial constraints. Collecting this diverse information in one publication is timely and an invaluable resource for the practising and academically active midwives, obstetricians and health service managers.' - From the Foreword by Tina Lavender

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.

Fear of childbirth, the increasing use of epidurals and soaring caesarean section rates are the focus of much apprehension, debate, and controversy in contemporary maternity care. Across the world, support in labour has been shown to reduce obstetric interventions and improve outcomes for women and babies, yet women often report feeling unhappy with the support they receive. This textbook provides a clear and practical guide to supporting women in labour, looking at a range of techniques and approaches that promote a safe and positive experience of birth for women and their families. Written by two highly experienced midwifery authors, this text draws on up-to-date research, identifying how evidence can be applied to everyday practice. It includes narratives from women and practitioners, including midwives, doulas, childbirth educators and students. These are used to illustrate a range of situations where the quality of support is central to the quality of the experience and outcome. Supporting Women for Labour and Birth encourages readers to reflect on their experiences and examine the evidence provided by both research and the experiences of women and practitioners in order to explore how this could be incorporated into their practice. The only book to deal directly with the practical and emotional issues associated with labour support, it is an ideal text for student midwives and an important reference for practising midwives, doulas and other childbirth practitioners.