Qualitative research, particularly phenomenology, is increasingly popular as a method for midwifery and health-related research. These approaches enable rich and detailed explanations to be uncovered and bring experience to life. Important recommendations and practice- based implications may then be raised and debated for future use. This book brings together a range of phenomenological methods and insights into one accessible text.

Illustrated with plenty of examples of successful phenomenological research, Qualitative Research in Midwifery and Childbirth keeps the focus applied to midwifery and childbirth and makes clear the links to practice throughout. The book introduces three key phenomenological approaches - descriptive, interpretive and the life world - and includes a comparative chapter which discusses the differences between these varied perspectives and methods. Each chapter focuses on how these approaches are used within midwifery research. The remaining chapters present a number of different research projects. These demonstrate how different phenomenological approaches have been used to explore and uncover experiences of childbirth and maternity as well as offering important insights into how women experience different facets of the birth experience during the antenatal, intra-partum and postnatal period.

Designed for researchers and students undertaking research projects on midwifery and childbirth, this text includes contributions from a range of international and highly regarded phenomenological authors and researchers.

Nurses typically go in to the profession of nursing because they want to "care" for patients, not knowing that the inherent stresses of the work environment put them at risk for developing psychological disorders such as burnout syndrome, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. Symptoms of these disorders are often debilitating and affect the nurse's functioning on both a personal and professional level. While environmental and/or organizational strategies are important to help combat stress, oftentimes the triggers experienced by nurses are non-modifiable including patient deaths, prolonging life in futile conditions, delivering post-mortem care and the feeling of contributing to a patient's pain and suffering. It is paramount that nurses enhance their ability to adapt to their work environment. Resilience is a multidimensional psychological characteristic that enables one to thrive in the face of adversity and bounce back from hardships and trauma. Importantly, resilience can be learned. Factors that promote resilience include attention to physical well-being and development of adaptive coping skills. This book provides the nurse, and the administrators who manage them, with an overview of the psychological disorders that are prevalent in their profession, first-person narratives from nurses who share traumatic and/or stressful situations that have impacted their career and provide detailed descriptions of promising coping strategies that can be used to mitigate symptoms of distress.

This workbook addresses the vital questions helpers, responders, and organizations have about self-care and its relationship to resilience and sustained effectiveness in the midst of daily exposure to trauma victims and or situations. Packed with activities, worksheets, and interactive learning tools, the text provides neuro-based and trauma-sensitive recommendations for improving the ways clinicians care for themselves. Each 'session' helps clinicians identify their personal self-care needs and arrive at an effective self-care plan that promotes resilience in the face of daily exposure to trauma-inducing situations and reduces the effects of compassion fatigue and burnout. Reducing Compassion Fatigue, Secondary Traumatic Stress, and Burnout is an essential workbook for any helper or organization looking to enhance compassionate care.

The rhetoric of choice is much used in UK health policy and home birth is one of the three options that women are entitled to choose between when deciding where to have their baby. However, many women making this choice run into considerable opposition from the maternity service. Home Birth: the politics of difficult choices focuses on the experiences of women whose choices were opposed by health professionals during their pregnancy journey. It confronts why and how women are being denied home birth and raises some challenging issues for current midwifery practice. Using ten women's narratives, this important volume explores why women might want to give birth at home and considers ideas of risk and informed choice in pregnancy and birth. The book includes chapters on communication and language; fear and stress; advocacy and autonomy; fathers' experience of contested place of birth and free birthing. Pointers to best practice are presented whilst the text incorporates women's narratives throughout, making this a practical and relevant read for midwifery students as well as practising midwives and childbirth educators, all of whom have a duty to make home birth a real option for women.

The Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) was developed for all undergraduate nursing programmes, with the aim of emphasising the need for nursing students to be competent in clinical skills, to assess clinical reasoning skills and as a means of standardizing the assessment process. This practical, easy to read and interactive study guide helps nursing and midwifery students at all levels to maximise their chances of success with OSCEs. It features case studies, quick quizzes, recap and recall summaries and an OSCE preparation plan; all of which help to prepare the student for the examination. Hints and tips on what to expect during the examination and pointers on what the examiner will be looking for, together with a comprehensive chapter on personal learning will help to guide the student through the process and maximise their chances of success! "Very readable with useful tips and information for students" Cath Hill, Keele University "I found the book extremely relevant from the students' perspective, reader friendly and well structured. Quizzes and activities excellent." - Liz Day, Senior Lecturer, Nursing and Health Care Practice, University of Derby "A useful and easily digested text on this important assessment strategy", Ms. Karen Lumsden, Faculty of Nursing and Applied Clinical Studies, Canterbury Christchurch University"Useful for students as they prepare... Easy to read and understand." Kirsty Wedgbury, Faculty of Health and Community Care, Birmingham City University

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Supportive Care and Midwifery" explores the increasingly powerful movement to utilize support during childbearing. Support is examined at various levels including personal interaction, clinical practice and management, and policy making. The book critically analyses the current situation from an international perspective and considers support by and for those involved in maternity care.

The book reflects Rosemary Mander's active research orientation as well as academic background. The research base is crucial throughout, and is most evident in the author's account of her own study. The origins, uses and misuses of research evidence emerge as fundamental; the political implications of these phenomena also become apparent as the argument develops. The author concludes by looking to the future and anticipating the development of support for the childbearing woman.

This text can be used to address discrete and specific support-related issues, as well as being read in its entirety to follow the unfolding of a powerful and persuasive argument.

Key features:
Emphasises evidence-based practice
Critically analyses the phenomena
Focuses on the woman's experience
Accessible and reader-friendly"

Supportive Care and Midwifery" is essential reading for midwives in training and for post-registration students on undergraduate programmes. It is also a valuable text for post-graduate students, practicing midwives, service providers and health visitors.

For fans of One Born Every Minute. The Secret Midwife is a heart-breaking, engrossing and important read. At once joyful and profoundly shocking, this is the story of birth, straight from the delivery room. Strongest supporter, best friend, expert, cheerleader and chief photographer . . . Before, during and after labour the role of a midwife is second to none. The Secret Midwife reveals the highs and lows on the frontline of the maternity unit, from the mother who tries to give herself a DIY caesarean to the baby born into witness protection, and from surprise infants that arrive down toilets to ones that turn up in the lift. But there is a problem; the system which is supposed to support the midwives and the women they care for is starting to crumble. Short-staffed, over worked and underappreciated - these crippling conditions are taking their toll on the dedicated staff doing their utmost to uphold our National Health Service, and the consequences are very serious indeed.

Yatdjuligin: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nursing and Midwifery Care introduces students to the fundamentals of health care of Indigenous Australians, encompassing the perspectives of both the client and the health practitioner. Written for all nurses and midwives, this book addresses the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and mainstream health services and introduces readers to practice and research in a variety of healthcare contexts. This new edition has been fully updated to reflect current research and documentation, with an emphasis on cultural safety. Three new chapters cover Torres Strait Islander health and wellbeing, social and emotional wellbeing in mainstream mental health services and quantitative research. Chapter content is complemented by case study scenarios, author reflections and reflection questions. These features illustrate historical and contemporary challenges, encourage students to reflect on their own attitudes and values, and provide strategies to deliver quality, person-centred health care.

Beyond Self-Care for Helping Professionals is an innovative guide to professional self-care focused not just on avoiding the consequences of failing to take care of oneself, but on optimal health and positive psychology. This new volume builds upon the Expressive Therapies Continuum to introduce the Life Enrichment Model, a strengths-based model that encourages mindful participation in a broad array of enriching experiences. By enabling therapists and other Helping Professionals to develop a rich emotional, intellectual, and creative foundation to their lives and clinical practices, this guide sets a new standard for self-care in the helping professions.

This book is a comprehensive and detailed study of early modern midwives in seventeenth-century London. Until quite recently, midwives, as a group, have been dismissed by historians as being inadequately educated and trained for the task of child delivery. The Midwives of Seventeenth-Century London rejects these claims by exploring the midwives' training and their licensing in an unofficial apprenticeship by the Church. Dr Evenden also offers an accurate depiction of the midwives in their socioeconomic context by examining a wide range of seventeenth-century sources. This expansive study not only recovers the names of almost one thousand women who worked as midwives in the twelve London parishes, but also brings to light details about their spouses, their families and their associates.

This book is a practical guide for medical practitioners as they navigate through breastfeeding problems that occur in day-to-day practice. If mothers have a breastfeeding complication they are often directed to their GP. In complex situations, medical staff will be making decisions around what treatment plan to follow and whether a mother can keep breastfeeding. In recent years there has been growing evidence that medical professionals often advise mothers to stop breastfeeding while undergoing treatment, when in reality this was not a necessary step. In a time when breastfeeding rates are decreasing, it is important that medical professionals give accurate advice and support a mother's choice to breastfeed if the situation allows it. A Guide to Supporting Breastfeeding for the Medical Profession includes contributions from a wide range of medical professionals and each chapter is written with the practitioner in mind. Contributors include GPs, paediatricians, neonatologists, lactation specialists and midwives. Doctors have a vital role to play in supporting and facilitating breastfeeding, and without the appropriate knowledge they can often inadvertently sabotage it. This book will be of interest to GPs and paediatricians as well as nurse prescribers, midwives and health visitors.

Psychodynamic Interventions in Pregnancy and Infancy builds on Bjoern Salomonsson's experiences as a psychoanalytic consultant working with parents and their babies. Emotional problems during the perinatal stages can arise and be observed and addressed by a skilled midwife, nurse or health visitor. Salomonsson has developed a method combining nurse supervision and therapeutic consultations which has lowered the thresholds for parents to come and talk with him. The brief consultations concern pregnant women, mother and baby, husband and wife, toddler and parent. The theoretical framework is psychoanalytic, but the mode of work is eclectic and adapted to the family's situation and its members' motivation. This book details such work, which can be applied globally; perinatal psychotherapy integrated with ordinary medical health care. It also explains how psychotherapy can be made more accessible to a larger population. Via detailed case presentations, the author takes the reader through pregnancy, childbirth and the first few years of life. He also brings in research studies emphasizing the importance of early interventions, with the aim of providing therapists with arguments for such work in everyday family health care. To further substantiate such arguments, the book ends with theoretical chapters and, finally, the author's vision of the future of a perinatal health care that integrates medical and psychological perspectives. Psychodynamic Interventions in Pregnancy and Infancy will appeal to all psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists working in this area, as well as clinical psychologists, clinical social workers and medical personnel working with parents and infants.

Concentrating specifically on research into midwifery and related disciplines, Appraising Research into Childbirth is designed to equip midwives and midwifery students with the necessary tools to navigate the maze of evidence-informed practice and the very different kinds of research that are published in midwifery, medical and related journals. The book appraises eight previously published research articles that present both qualitative and quantitative research studies. Each of the various elements is analysed - from the methodology through to the interpretation of the results. Each article is annotated with notes and questions, thereby enabling the reader to actively participate in the appraisal. Tips, tools and checklists aid orientation and quick recall of salient advice and a guide to statistics helps to demystify what is generally considered to be a daunting element of most research. Each chapter is pulled together by the ongoing discussion about how we can "find out" and "know" by doing research and the advantages, disadvantages, potential for philosophical and methodological bias and political ramifications of such work. Presents a range of quantitative and qualitative research articles relevant to midwifery practice in a unique workbook format Enables readers to gain hands-on, practical experience of critiquing research Supplementary tools, checklists, mnemonics and tables enable deeper understanding of the process of appraising research Commentary and expert critique provided by lecturers in midwifery research Contains a user-friendly guide to statistics

Arguing that contemporary maternity services provide a toxic environment both in which to practise and to give birth, this book looks at how we can change this. Its aim is promoting the best possible experiences of childbearing, and confident, strengthening and loving contexts for new parenthood. Designed to create awareness about the professional and political realities which enmesh maternity care, this inspiring volume features an in-depth and research-oriented analysis of the challenges faced by contemporary maternity services. Recognising the frequently hostile environment in which midwives practise, the contributors go on to explore its impact on women and families, as well as on midwives themselves. They then look at woman-centred and community-based ways of contributing to a much better birthing experience for all. Important and relevant for all those with an interest in improving maternity care, this book is particularly suited to midwives - practising and student, doulas, birth educators and activists, policymakers and health service managers.

First published in 1999, this volume discusses how the nursing and health care fields are developing rapidly. This series of monographs offers up-to-date reports of recently completed research projects in the fields of nursing and health care. The aim of the series is to report studies that have relevance to contemporary nursing and health care practice. It includes reports of research into aspects of clinical nursing care, management and education. The series is of interest to all nurses and health care workers, researchers, managers and educators in the field.

This book provides an in-depth guide to how shiatsu can form part of modern maternity care. Based on traditional Chinese and Japanese approaches to health, shiatsu can be used to alleviate many of the chronic symptoms of pregnancy such as backache, insomnia and morning sickness. It can also help during labour and birth, as well as relieve postnatal problems such as heavy postpartum bleeding or difficulties with lactation. A shiatsu treatment simply encourages the body to balance its own natural energy by gentle stimulation of its energy pathways, the meridians - the same pathways used in acupuncture. The age-old midwifery skills of touching and stroking are an intrinsic part of nurturing and cherishing - the essence of 'being with woman'. Shiatsu takes this simple healing technique one stage further. You will find tips on how to use core midwifery skills of touch, gentle pressure and massage in a more systematic and focused way. The authors also discuss the actions necessary to establish its use in a maternity unit, including training and professional issues. Suzanne Yates is the leading shiatsu teacher world-wide to have made maternity work her main focus. She has been working with midwives and pregnant women for the last 13 years and developed a course of applied shiatsu for midwives that fulfils NMC requirements for training. Tricia Anderson, midwife lecturer and supervisor and past editor of Practising Midwife, has collaborated with her to ensure the content is appropriate to midwives' Code of Practice. This is a key text for anyone wishing to explore this new area.This practical guide offers effective alternatives to orthodox treatment and provides a valuable addition to modern midwifery care Focuses on a range of shiatsu treatments suitable for maternity care, providing examples of safe and effective work that can be done in a short session Specific techniques designed to help with many of the common problems of pregnancy, labour and early motherhood Discusses the research base that underpins shiatsu, providing the most up-to-date information to support evidence-based care Fascinating case studies provide many anecdotal accounts of effectiveness. Clear line drawings and photographs accompany the techniques, aiding understanding and successful practice Relevant shiatsu theory is clearly explained

As rates of multiple births increase, birth professionals are discovering a distinct lack of resources to support parents who wish to breastfeed. Written in an accessible format, Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets is a source of information for parents, lactation consultants, birthing professionals and healthcare workers wishing to support multiple birth families. Stagg's evidence-based guide discusses the discovery of a multiple pregnancy, how families can prepare for breastfeeding, premature birth, hand expressing and pumping as well as transitioning premature babies onto the breast and moving away from tube feeds. Stagg's own experience of breastfeeding her twins and career as a breastfeeding counsellor and lactation consultant with the IBCLC (International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants) ensures this guide is filled with practical knowledge to support multiple birth families in their journey.

Herostories reveals tales untold by most history books: the harrowing journeys and vital triumphs of 19th and 20th century midwifery in the vast landscape of Iceland. Composed from the memoirs and biographies of 100 Icelandic midwives, poet-historian Kristin Svava Tomasdottir's found poems illuminate the dangers and valor of birthwork. Forgoing traditional sagas of androcentric conquest, these poems center the adventures of ljosmaedur, "mothers of light." Tomasdottir leverages epic elements-dashing mountain treks, rivers forded on horseback, unyielding compassion-to challenge how and by whom stories become legend. The follow-up to Tomasdottir/Thors' award-winning, PEN-nominated Stormwarning, Herostories documents the professional achievements of the island's first women to work outside the home, precursors to today's midwives who remain central to contemporary Icelandic healthcare. Beyond archival recognition, the text's formally ambitious poetics render gender-based battles for literacy and education alongside narratives of selfless womanly caretaking, pressurizing the fundamental tensions between feminine self-actualization and the romanticized service of these trailblazing figures.

Contents:
Acknowledgements Part One: Ideology and Policy Introduction 1. The Condition of the Working Class in England Fredrick Engles 2. National Health Service Bill Ministry of Health 3. The Road to Serfdom F.A. Hayek 4. Working for Patients Secretaries of State for Health 5. Everyone A Private Patient David Green 6. Supporting Families Home Office 7. The New NHS Secretary of State for Health 8. Saving Lives Secretary of State for Health 9. A New Universalism ^iWorld Organisation Part Two: Social Stratification and Health Introduction 10. The Poor and the Poorest Brian Abel-Smith and Peter Townsend 11. The Black Spot Sir Douglas Black (chairman) 12. Widening Inequality of Health in Northern England, 1981-91
eter Phillimore, Alastair Beattie and Peter Townsend 13. What Makes Women Sick Lesley Doyle 14. You Are Dangerous to your Health Robert Crawford 15. Beyond the Black Report Mel Bartley, David Blane and George Davey Smith 16. The Acheson Report Sir Donald Acheson (chairman) Part Three: Professionalisation and Health Introduction 17. The Profession of Medicine Eliot Freidson 18. Governmentality and the Institutionalization of Expertise Terry Johnson 19. The Rise of Surveillance Medicine David Armstrong 20. The Diagnostic Test and the Danger Within Deborah Lupton 21. The Modern Rise of Population Thomas McKeown 22. From Tribalism to Corporatism: The Managerial Challenge to Medical Dominance David J. Hunter 23. Disability and the Myth of the Independent Researcher Colin Barnes Part Four: Experiencing Health and Illness Introduction 24. Lay Concepts of Health Mildred Blaxter 25. Pathways to the Doctor - From Person to Patient Irving Kenneth Zola 26. Going to See the Doctor Gerry Stimson and Barbara Webb 27. Managing Courtesy Stigma: The Case of Alzheimer's Disease ^Hazel MacRae 28. Researching Women's Health Work Hilary Graham 29. The Body in Consumer Culture Mike Featherstone 30. Containing the Body Wendy Seymour 31. A Good Enough Death Beverley McNamara Index

Birth In Focus offers the reader a chance to see birth made real. Water birth, breech birth, twin birth, Caesarean birth - all are shown in 'photo stories', with accompanying text written both by the woman and her midwife, and sometimes also the partner or a child who was present. Clear images of the birth process provide an excellent educational tool for students, as well as offering inspiration to those who may not have had the opportunity to see birth in this way. A chapter on reflection points for practitioners will help professionals and birth supporters explore further the issues highlighted in the individual stories. Foreword by Ina May Gaskin.

Originally published 1995 The Making of Man-Midwifery looks at how the eighteenth century witnessed a revolution in childbirth practices. By the last quarter of the century increasing numbers of babies were being delivered by men - a dramatic shift from the women-only ritual that had been standard throughout Western history. This authoritative and challenging work explains this transformation in medical practice and remarkable shift in gender relations. By tracing the actual development and transmission of the new midwifery skills through the period, the book addresses both technological and feminist arguments of the period. The study is distinctive in treating childbirth as both a bodily and a social event and in explaining how the two were intimately connected. Practical obstetrics is shown to have been shaped by the social relations surrounding deliveries, and specific techniques were associated with distinctive places and political allegiances. The books studies how increasing numbers emergent male-midwives had overtaken women in the skill of delivering children and how as such expectant mothers chose to use these male-midwives, thus heralding the growth of male-midwives in the period.

Midwifery at a Glance offers an easy-to-read yet comprehensive overview of everything a midwifery student needs to know, from conception to care of the newborn. This practical guide provides coverage of normal pregnancy, maternal and foetal physiology, and pre-existing medical conditions and how these affect pregnancy and birth. It also features vital information on the role of the midwife, evidence-based practice, health promotion education, and perinatal mental health, as well as neonatal care and an overview of emergency situations. Midwifery at a Glance Contains superb full colour illustrations throughout Is written specifically for midwifery students and includes all the concepts found on the midwifery curriculum Demonstrates links with other relevant multidisciplinary healthcare professionals Midwifery at a Glance is the ideal guide, offering educational support for midwifery students in the application of midwifery knowledge into clinical practice.

Listening Visits in Perinatal Mental Health focuses on how women and families suffering from perinatal mental illness can be supported by a wide range of practitioners. Based on the skills of attentive listening, it is designed for use by health professionals and support workers concerned with maternal mental health and the mental health of the family. This accessible guide: Covers the process and progression of perinatal mental health Discusses the types of anxiety and depression which may occur during the perinatal period Examines the impact of maternal mental illness of the infant, father and family Explores the available assessment tools, such as the EPDS Presents the theories behind the efficacy of listening and counselling skills, as well as the evidence which recommends this type of therapy Gives suggestions of alternative therapeutic approaches and further resources to explore around perinatal mental health Emphasises the importance of looking after yourself and making use of supervision and peer support. With chapters focused on listening to mothers, fathers and infants and paying attention to cultural diversity, Listening Visits in Perinatal Mental Health builds on the knowledge that many professionals working with new mothers already have about perinatal mental health. It focuses on developing the skills needed to put this knowledge into practice and includes case examples and follow-up activities throughout.