Being a midwife today requires not only good clinical skills but also a broad understanding of the social and emotional adaptation to birth, which a woman must go through. A midwife must be clinically skilled and able to bring woman-centred practice to life. This book explores all the issues, which a midwife may experience in applying her practical knowledge with sensitivity towards every individual womans care, before, during and after birth. Building on the changes, which have occurred in midwifery in the past decade, The New Midwifery describes approaches to practice,which have now been drawn from experience, underpinned by theory and biological sciences. It will help midwives to build sensitive and supportive relationships, develop openness to individual needs, and be able to use science as a basis to practice.
EFFECTIVE AND APPROPRIATE CARE · Putting Science and Sensitivity into Practice · Using Evidence to Inform Practice · Making Choices in Childbirth · Risk, Theoretical or Actual · Keeping Birth Normal · Providing One-to-One Practice and Enjoying It · Public Health View of the Maternity Services · Exploring New Worlds of Midwifery · TRANSITION TO PARENTING · Be Nice and Dont Drop the Baby · Becoming a Parent · The Growth of Human Love and Committment · Social Support in Childbirth · Dimensions and Attributes of Caring: Womens Perceptions · ADAPTATION AND GROWTH IN PREGNANCY, BIRTH AND EARLY LIFE · The Beginning of Life · Physical Adaptations to Pregnancy · The Newborn · Caring for the Baby