Vicky Chapman

The Midwife's Labour and Birth Handbook

Vicky Chapman

Praise for the previous edition: “…An outstanding handbook. It will be a familiar volume on most midwifery bookshelves, providing an excellent guide to midwifery focused care of both woman and child in the birthing setting.” – Nursing Times Online Providing a practical and comprehensive guide to midwifery care, The Midwife’s Labour and Birth Handbook continues to promote best practice and a safe, satisfying birthing experience with a focus on women-centred care. Covering all aspects of care during labour and birth, from obstetric emergencies to the practicalities of perineal repair (including left-hand suturing), the fourth edition has been fully revised and updated to include: Full colour photographs of kneeling extended breech and footling breech births New water birth and breech water birth photographs Female genital mutilation Sepsis Group B streptococcus Care of the woman with diabetes /Neonatal hypoglycaemia Mental health Seeding/microbirthing It also addresses important issues such as: Why are the numbers of UK women giving birth in stirrups RISING rather than falling? Why are so few preterm babies given bedside resuscitation with the cord intact? Would the creation of midwife breech practitioners/specialists enable more women to choose vaginal breech birth and is breech water birth safe? What is the legal position for women who choose to free birth – and their birth partners? Why are midwives challenging the OASI care bundle? Incorporating research, evidence and anecdotal observations, The Midwife’s Labour and Birth Handbook remains an essential resource for both student midwives and experienced practising midwives.

The Midwife's Labour and Birth Handbook

Vicky Chapman

To practice effectively, midwives need to continually update their knowledge of pregnancy and birth. This fully revised and updated new edition of The Midwife's Labour and Birth Handbook is a practical and accessible guide to providing midwifery care while promoting 'women-centred' care and normality. It explores important questions such as: Why are women not encouraged to make a birth plan for elective CS? If a VBAC woman declines continuous CTG monitoring then why shouldn’t she use a waterbirth pool? If shoulder dystocia is anticipated, why not encourage all-fours birth in preference to a semi-recumbent position? Why are the needs of the delivering professional so often put before the advantages of upright postures for promoting descent of a second twin? This new edition incorporates the latest research and national guidelines, and includes new chapters on twins, caesarean section, bullying, risk management and IOL. By bringing together the latest midwifery information in a woman-centred way, The Midwife's Labour and Birth Handbook is an essential guide for both student midwives and experienced practising midwives.