The Midwife's Labour and Birth Handbook (PDF)

Praise for previous editions:

"An excellent resource for both student midwives and
qualified staff alike." (Alison James, Midwifery
Lecturer, Plymouth University)

"A lovely book with a lot of practical advice and easy to
navigate. (Jayne Samples, Midwifery Lecturer, University of
Huddersfield)

This fully revised and updated third edition of The
Midwife's Labour and Birth Handbook is a practical and
accessible guide to midwifery care.



It addresses important questions such as:



* Why are women being pressured into caesarean section for breech
presentation when the evidence is equivocal?

* If a baby needs assisted ventilation breaths at birth, why not
bring the ambubag to the baby and leave the cord intact so the baby
can benefit from the extra maternal oxygen supply?

* Why is skin-to-skin contact at birth so rarely offered to
preterm babies when there is evidence of benefit?

This well-regarded text promotes normality and woman-centred
care, using research, evidence-based guidelines and anecdotal
accounts from women. It challenges practice and guidelines which
are biased or based on poor evidence. Guidance is offered on how to
deal with difficult, sometimes controversial, situations.

The Midwife's Labour and Birth Handbook 3rd
edition is an essential guide for both student midwives and
experienced practising midwives.

New to this edition:

* Full colour photographs including a kneeling breech birth

* Suturing diagrams to assist left-handed midwives.

* Expanded chapters on slow progress in labour and
malposition/malpresentations, including a rare photograph of a face
presentation birth.