Book Review

Midwifery Best Practice Sara Wickham

Return to Midwifery Best Practice Also by Sara Wickham Book: Midwifery: Best Practice Vol 4

This book is a varied but significant collection of articles that have previously been published in The Practising Midwife of interest to all midwives (student, practising and intending). Some of the themes found to be relevant to many of the topics were choice for both mothers and midwives, the gaining and disseminating of knowledge and raising awareness through reflection.

Initially, this book seemed daunting with an index of so many articles. However, the reader is able to choose the section that induces most interest and start at that point or, like me, attack from the beginning. The chapters, organised into discrete topics, will help the reader to choose the most appealing theme. Once started, the book is hard to put down.

Because the collection is of current journal articles the book provides a succinct picture of many issues raised by mothers, midwives and others in birthing today. It explores physiological aspects as well as the emotional and spiritual journey of childbirth through provoking (and at times confronting) research and reflections. Although some of the material left the reader with more questions, and some articles seemed too short, at all times there was an awareness of an importance to the discourse. And, of course, there are always more answers to find when the correct questions are asked.

Although of mostly British content, this publication is pertinent to all midwives as many of the issues transcend racial and cultural needs. The collection also indicates the importance of enquiry and research in questioning accepted practices. It assists student midwives to understand how reflection can lead to the development of questions to be researched and how their learning can assist others to understand mothers, babies and their families.

As a midwife of many years, I found this book to be thought provoking and relevant to both student midwives and those of us who may have been helping mothers to birth for many years.

Mrs Lynne Slater
Lecturer, School of Nursing and Midwifery

Style: An edited collection of articles that have previously appeared in either 'The Practising Midwife' or 'Midwifery'.

Format: Large sized paperback of 220 pages

Contents: Divided into sections containing between 4 & 12 related articles under the following headings. Normal Birth, Pregnancy, Domestic Violence, Being with Women, Labour and Birth, Elements of Risk, The Postnatal Experience, Parenting, Stories and Reflection.

This is the second volume of Midwifery: Best Practice. This easily read book provides a collection of articles which have previously appeared in either 'The Practising Midwife' or 'Midwifery' journals and follows the same format as the first volume.

For those midwives, be they practitioners, students or academics, who do not have regular access to these magazines the editor has selected thought provoking articles and grouped them together under the headings Normal Birth, Pregnancy, Domestic Violence, Being with Women, Labour and Birth, Elements of Risk, The Postnatal Experience, Parenting, Stories and Reflection.

Strategically throughout the book, questions are posed providing the reader with an opportunity to reflect on their own practice in regard to the area covered in the section just read. This book could also be used amongst groups of midwives and their allied health colleagues to challenge existing ways of thinking and raise new ideas for consideration that will stimulate learning and encourage debate and reflection.

The extensive list of contents and index allow the reader to easily find articles with information pertinent to their area of interest and find the articles again when references are needed.

I would recommend this book to all those interested in midwifery best practice as providing a convenient way to access recently published articles on topics close to the hearts of practising midwives. Of course the inclusion of birth stories at the end of the book guaranteed that I read the book from back to front.

Andrea Quanchi
Midwife