The midwife: medical professional, friend in a woman's hour of greatest need, potent social and cultural symbol. Though the role of midwife has existed since time immemorial, it is only since the Victorian era that it has been a recognised and regulated profession. This book, from social history expert Susan Cohen, looks at midwifery in Britain from ancient times up to the present, paying particular attention to its incredible medical and social advances of the last 150 years. It is a fully illustrated tour that takes in fictional midwives such as Dickens' Sarey Gamp, the founding of the Royal College of Midwives in 1881, the Second World War, the forming of the NHS and the Central Midwives Board, and looks at the increasing medicalisation of childbirth and the countervailing trend for giving birth at home.

In order to become skilled and competent practitioners, student midwives need to understand the complex individual, family and societal issues they will encounter. By introducing the contemporary context of midwifery practice, this book helps students to understand the problems many women face in society. The book covers topics including violence, mental and sexual health, the rising obesity epidemic and increases in numbers of women from non-UK countries. The authors emphasise the fact that students need to be aware of their public health responsibilities and discuss various health promotion strategies.

Now In Its Third Edition, Breastfeeding Management For The Clinician: Using The Evidence Is A Trusted Compendium On Breastfeeding For The Practicing Clinician. It Provides A Research-Based Approach To Breastfeeding Care By Including Literature Reviews While Covering The Incidence, Etiology, Risk Factors, Prevention, Prognosis And Implications, Interventions, Expected Outcomes, Care Plans, And Clinical Algorithms. Expanded To Include New Approaches To Solving Common And Uncommon Breastfeeding Problems, The Third Edition Discusses The Political And Social Landscape Of Breastfeeding Including New State And Federal Laws And Policies Related To Breastfeeding. Also Explained And Clarified Are New Revelations About Infant Sucking Mechanics As Seen Under Ultrasound Presented As A Combination Of Vacuum And Compression. Breastfeeding Management For The Clinician: Using The Evidence, Third Edition Provides Both The Problem Solving Approach Busy Clinicians Need To Resolve Issues Encountered In Everyday Practice And The Evidence-Based Foundation They Need To Impact Positive Change In The Workplace.

The full renewal program slides are also included on the CD. Difficult concepts are simplified and brought to life for all levels of learners. S.T.A.B.L.E. stands for the 6 assessment parameters covered in the program: Sugar, Temperature, Airway, Blood pressure, Lab work, and Emotional support for the family.

Due to ethical issues surrounding data collection in the field of healthcare, students areno longer able to undertake their own empirical research. This book is written for nursing and midwifery students completing a research project based on reviewing published literature and using secondary data. It de-mystifies the concept of literature review methodology and supports students writing up their dissertation, thesis or work-based learning project.

The book provides step-by-step guidance on:

- Identifying a research problem

- Qualitative and quantitative research design

- Literature searching

- Ethical considerations

- Analysis of secondary data

- Writing your dissertation

Through its discussion of non-empirical methods, the book also prepares students for future empirical research by providing examples of best practice in healthcare research. The book is essential reading for undergraduates and postgraduates who want to succeed in their nursing or midwifery research project.

The second book from Sunday Times bestselling author Linda Fairley. 'No matter how many babies I deliver, each and every one is a miracle, connecting me to the world like nothing else, reminding me that we are all equal in the beginning, and in the end. It's a great leveller, childbirth.' It's January 1972 and times have changed since Linda first stepped onto a maternity ward four years earlier. Gone are the starched skirts and steaming milk kitchens of the 1960s; these are the exhilarating days of disposable equipment and new technology. The Pill will soon be free to all women, and more and more fathers are daring to brave the delivery room. At the newly-opened Ashton maternity unit the midwives' spirits are high, and, in spite of the dark cloud of laundry strikes on the horizon, there's the scent of a new era on the cold winter wind. But one thing has stayed the same - the babies keep coming. Year after year, Linda faithfully helps the women of Greater Manchester through their most vulnerable and emotional hours, whether it is by giving calm instructions over the phone to a panicking husband, delivering a baby unexpectedly in a hospital lift, or by dashing headlong to the rescue of a snowed-in mum-to-be. As 25-year-old Linda becomes a mother herself she understands, more than ever, what a precious gift it is to bring children into the world, and she holds each new baby just that little bit tighter. As the years roll by Linda finds herself delivering the babies of mothers and fathers she helped to bring into the world decades earlier - making her something of a local celebrity. Through the highs and lows, through the modernisations that transform the hospital and the world outside, Linda's passion for midwifery burns as bright as ever. With 42 years of experience Linda is one of Britain's longest-serving midwives, and reaching the retirement age in 2008 didn't stop her doing the job she loves. Although she has seen generations of women give birth and delivered more than 2,000 babies, she treats every new arrival like the new miracle it is.

The Sunday Times bestseller 'Delivering my first baby is a memory that will stay with me forever. Just feeling the warmth of a newborn head in your hands, that new life, there's honestly nothing like it... I've since brought more than 2,200 babies into the world, and I still tingle with excitement every time.' It's the summer of 1968 and St Mary's Maternity Hospital in Manchester is a place from a bygone age. It is filled with starched white hats and full skirts, steaming laundries and milk kitchens, strict curfews and bellowed commands. It is a time of homebirths, swaddling and dangerous anaesthetics. It was this world that Linda Fairley entered as a trainee midwife aged just 19 years old. From the moment Linda delivered her first baby - racing across rain-splattered Manchester street on her trusty moped in the dead of night - Linda knew she'd found her vocation. 'The midwife's here!' they always exclaimed, joined in their joyful chorus by relieved husbands, mothers, grandmothers and whoever else had found themselves in close proximity to a woman about to give birth. Under the strict supervision of community midwife Mrs Tattershall, Linda's gruellingly long days were spent on overcrowded wards pinning Terry nappies, making up bottles and sterilizing bedpans - and above all helping women in need. Her life was a succession of emergencies, successes and tragedies: a never-ending chain of actions which made all the difference between life and death. There was Mrs Petty who gave birth in heartbreaking poverty; Mrs Drew who confided to Linda that the triplets she was carrying were not in fact her husband's; and Muriel Turner, whose dangerously premature baby boy survived - against all the odds. Forty years later Linda's passion for midwifery burns as bright as ever as she is now celebrated as one of Britain's longest-serving midwives, still holding the lives of mothers and children in her own two hands. Rich in period detail and told with a good dose of Manchester humour, The Midwife's Here! is the extraordinary, heartwarming tale of a truly inspiring woman.

Un grand nombre de renseignements errones circulent au sujet de la consommation de medicaments, de drogues et d'alcool pendant la grossesse et l'allaitement. Les fournisseurs de soins de sante ont le devoir de connaitre les veritables risques et avantages, pour la mere et son bebe, de continuer ou de cesser de prendre un medicament ou une autre substance. Or, les fournisseurs de soins ne sont pas toujours outilles pour donner les conseils les plus judicieux aux femmes qui sont enceintes ou allaitent et qui sont exposees a des psychotropes. -Y a-t-il des moments ou l'on peut consommer de l'alcool sans danger pendant l'allaitement ? -Quels risques court le bebe d'une femme qui consomme du cannabis pendant la grossesse ou l'allaitement ? -Le tabagisme a-t-il des effets differents pendant la grossesse et l'allaitement ? -Quel est l'effet de la cocaine sur le foetus ou le nouveau-ne ? -Si une femme cesse de prendre un antidepresseur lorsqu'elle tombe enceinte, quelles seront les repercussions sur elle-meme et le foetus ? -Une femme peut-elle allaiter sans danger si elle prend de la codeine ? Le document Exposition aux psychotropes et a d'autres substances pendant la grossesse et l'allaitement: Ressource pour les fournisseurs de soins de sante est une source pratique de renseignements et de recommandations fondes sur l'experience clinique concernant ces questions et beaucoup d'autres. Il est destine aux medecins de premier recours, aux psychiatres, aux pharmaciens, aux obstetriciens, aux sages femmes, aux infirmieres hygienistes et aux infirmieres praticiennes. Cette ressource: -decrit en detail les proprietes et les effets de nombreux psychotropes et autres substances, et recommande des facons de conseiller les femmes qui prennent ces substances; -dissipe les mythes couramment associes a l'exposition aux drogues pendant la grossesse et l'allaitement; -aborde les grands principes du travail clinique aupres de femmes enceintes ou qui allaitent et qui font usage de psychotropes ou d'autres substances; -passe en revue les concepts de toxicomanie, de dependance et d'abus; -propose des outils de depistage et examine les meilleures pratiques dans ce domaine; -explore le role therapeutique important des professionnels de la sante aupres des femmes qui souhaitent modifier leur style de vie et ameliorer leur sante et celle de leur bebe.

Dr Grantly Dick-Read died on 11 June 1959. His teaching, however, gains a growing recognition even though others are putting their names to his theories and practices. The delivery on this recording was not in fact an 'easy' one, as the baby was not fully rotated. The record, therefore, not only justifies Dick-Read's teaching but is also a tribute to his own skill as a gynaecologist. The following sleeve notes were written a month after the recording. 'When my wife informed me that she was going to have a baby, I think my reactions were typical of most husbands. I was delighted, for we both wanted to start a family, but I was also anxious. My knowledge of childbirth was limited. I had heard that pregnancy could be 'difficult', that labour itself, if not actually dangerous, meant many hours of suffering either nobly endured or alleviated with anaesthesia. My wife, however, insisted that I read "Childbirth without Fear" by Dr Grantly Dick-Read. There I learned the simple tenets upon which his teaching is founded. The fear of childbirth can be overcome by simple instruction in the truth of natural processes. The methods by which a woman can help herself and not cause her own distress - correct breathing and relaxation for use during pregnancy and labour were explained. Simple exercises (requiring only a few minutes per day) to aid the general fitness for the birth of the baby were described. Dr Dick-Read stressed that even more important than the removal of pain is the spiritual joy the mother experiences when she sees her baby into the world, a joy, which transcends the moment of birth, and has a lasting influence on the family unity. This, as Dr Dick-Read says, is the experience, which is destroyed when the sensations of birth are removed or disturbed by interference. My wife decided that she would prepare for natural childbirth. It was at this point that as a recording executive I became involved professionally. My wife volunteered to have her labour recorded and Dr Dick-Read agreed to supervise her delivery and give a commentary as the labour proceeded. In effect, we had provided Dr Dick-Read with a test of some severity. We were not asking him to choose the best result from, say, twelve cases. The patient was not even selected by him. She was having her first baby and she was over thirty. Mrs Dick-Read began the antenatal preparation, as described in the book "Antenatal Illustrated". The voices you will hear on this record are those of Dr Dick-Read, Mrs Dick-Read, the expectant mother and, towards the end of the record, a woman doctor in general practice who assisted Dr Dick-Read. Another doctor who was present primarily as an interested observer was also skilled in the administration of pain relief should the patient have desired it. A bedroom in Dr Dick-Read's house in Petersfield had been equipped with a labour bed. Trilene and Pethedine were available; for, contrary to some reports, a strongly maintained principle of Dr Dick-Read's teaching was that the patient should not be expected to suffer any unnecessary pain or discomfort. Three microphones were used. One was placed above the bed and used to pick up conversations between doctor and patient and also the atmosphere of the ward, which was calm and peaceful throughout. At each side of the bed we placed microphones for use when either Dr or Mrs Dick-Read wished to make any comment. I personally operated the recording equipment in an adjoining room during the confinement and can categorically state that at no time did I feel that my wife was asked to bear any severe discomfort. Even when owing to the incomplete rotation of the baby's head at the outlet, and in order to prevent unnecessarily prolonging the final stage of labour, a small incision was made, my wife did not feel this and did not at any stage request anaesthetic. That she was asked to do a lot of very hard work she will be the first to admit. But the joy of the birth itself is unforgettable. During the early stages of her labour I was with her and able to help during her contractions with the back-rubbing, she found so beneficial at this stage. A swishing sound on the record during the first stage contractions is made by this back-rubbing. It is during this stage that Dr Dick-Read insisted that all patients should have company. So often the expectant mother is 'left to get on with it until the second stage is reached. During the second stage considerable background noise is caused by the movement of the bed-clothes when the patient changes her position in order to use her contractions efficiently. The recording was made on tape, edited and then transferred to a long playing record. Before we started to condense the recording of a twelve-hour labour to the length of one LP record we invited reporters to hear parts of the as yet uncut tape, including the last twenty minutes. It was pointed out to them that although a very heavy task of selection lay ahead, there was nothing which needed to be suppressed for the purpose of demonstrating natural childbirth. The editing presented two major problems. Owing to the fact that our microphones were highly sensitive in order to pick up the quietly and calmly conducted comments and discussions of the doctor, his patient and his assistants, we also picked up many unwanted and distracting noises, doors closing, sterilised tins being opened, running taps, etc. These noises have been removed wherever possible from the finished record. Condensation proved more difficult, for many of the early stage contractions were very similar, and throughout the first two stages there were long periods when the patient was lying peacefully relaxed between her contractions. All that was merely repetitious or irrelevant had to be discarded. To present a twelve-hour labour on one long playing record was clearly impossible, therefore we were faced with a further problem. If we did not include some passages of rest and relaxation, we would give an impression that the patient moved rapidly from contraction to contraction; but to allow a five-minute rest its full playing time was not possible. We have tried, therefore, to maintain the impression of the overall rhythm of labour by selection of contractions and the shortening of silences. We have not condensed individual contractions. This is important in demonstrating the breath control called for during contractions. This record, then, is an account of a twelve-hour labour leading up to the dramatic moments when the baby is born. One of the most outstanding moments on this record occurs towards the end of the first side. Using his stethoscope with a microphone placed alongside it, Dr Dick-Read searches for and listens to the heart-beat of the baby while it is still in the birth canal, one hour and a half before it is born-an exciting moment for the recording technicians and the doctors when they heard the playback for the first time. Reporting on the last twenty minutes of this recording, one of Britain's leading newspapers, the "Daily Mirror", called it: "The most moving record I have ever heard". If this record helps to abolish fear, it will help to abolish pain in labour. If it helps to spread the teachings of Dr Grantly Dick-Read, then it will have done its job. His work won its due recognition when it was acknowledged and approved by His Holiness, Pope Pius XII, who also commented upon the spiritual approach inherent in Dr Dick-Read's method, saying: "The researches of the Englishman, Dr Grantly Dick-Read, differed notably from those of the Russians (notably the followers of I.P. Pavlov) in their philosophical and metaphysical postulates which were not based, like those of the Russians, on materialistic concepts". This record should help to prepare a woman for the emotional and spiritual experience which is her right, and needs to be fought for, just as much as her right to highly skilled surgery, or pain-killing drugs. There is still some opposition to Dr Dick-Read's work, especially in his own country; there are many places where lip-service is paid to his system; but if his method is followed sincerely by those responsible for the conduct of labour, the result can be as on this record. Here, then, unscripted and unrehearsed, is a record of a natural childbirth.' H.J.U.

A research-based, up-to-the minute account of the current status of antenatal education, focusing on the key challenges it faces in the future, offering suggestions for how these challenges might best be met. It describes some innovative approaches to accessing vulnerable groups of parents and how collaboration between the statutory and voluntary sectors might result in a better educational service for pregnant women and their families. Narratives from parents are analysed and commented upon, and underpinning the book will be an account of how the principles and practices of adult education should inform antenatal education. Demonstrates the potential for antenatal education to make a positive impact on women's experience of birth Points the way to accessing new sources of funding for antenatal classes Illustrates new teaching strategies with the aim of accessing groups of parents currently not involved with antenatal education Aims to show how antenatal education can be a central, rather than peripheral part of the holistic care provided to pregnant women and their families

Offers state-of-the-art analyses of the new midwifery Midwifery in the developed world is in a state of ferment and change - a phenomenon referred to as the new midwifery. Reconceiving Midwifery offers state-of-the-art analyses of the new midwifery as it is practiced. The authors - social scientists and midwifery practitioners - reflect on regional differences in the emerging profession, providing a systematic account of its historical, local, and international roots, its evolving regulatory status, and the degree to which it has been integrated into health care systems.

This work provides insight into the subjective experience of stillbirth, miscarriage and pregnancy, and the professional response. It has grown out of interviews with women and with the range of health professionals who were significant in their care. These experiences are drawn upon to explore the dilemmas in offering good care, and to suggest ways in which practice might be improved.

The complete textbook on complementary therapies in maternity care, this book addresses how midwives and other birth professionals can use or advise on complementary therapies for pregnant, labouring and new mothers. Almost 90% of women may be using complementary therapies during pregnancy and birth, and increasingly midwives and doulas incorporate therapies into their care of women, so it is vital that they and other professionals in the maternity care field are aware of safe and appropriate use based on contemporary evidence. Therapies covered include acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy, aromatherapy, reflexology, yoga, massage and hypnosis. This complete guide to complementary therapies in pregnancy and childbirth covers safety, effectiveness, evidence, benefits and risks, legal, ethical and professional issues based on accurate and up-to-date research.

Since childbirth became a medicalized - and usually hospitalized - event a century ago, women's and families' psychosocial needs have been relegated to a somewhat peripheral role within the clinically focussed hierarchy of medical care. This text reinstates psychosocial issues as a primary focus of care, together with clinical excellence. Family-centred care is a familiar phrase in today's maternity services, with professional guidelines and hospital policies including the term in their care protocols; however, few definitions, and no specific standards, for family-centred care exist. While all caregivers and care services are likely to define their care as sensitive to women's needs, and family-centred, the actual implementation of a family-centred approach - despite it being a current fashion in care - is still inadequate. This book clearly defines family-centred perinatal care, and outlines how truly family-centred care can, and should, be implemented, and how, and where, this has been done.

This book provides a guide for midwives and doulas who want to establish a maternity-related business offering services such as pregnancy complementary therapies, antenatal classes, lactation support or full doula care. The book is designed to help potential entrepreneurs explore whether this is the right decision for them and provides guidance on the legal, financial and business aspects of setting up in private practice, specifically tailored to maternity care. Advice is given on marketing and pricing and there is debate around the professional and ethical issues for midwives and doulas, including avoiding conflicts of interest and maintaining professional integrity. Case studies of midwives and doulas who have taken the step to set up in private practice are included, and there are various activities to help the reader with their personal plans for their business.

The use of warm water immersion throughout the birthing process is renowned for its physical and psychological benefits, yet waterbirth is still vastly underrepresented as a birthing method across the globe. Now going into its second edition, Dianne Garland's popular and authoritative text guides the reader through the clinical, practical and organisational considerations for delivery in water. Drawing on the author's own extensive experience, the book explores: - The history and evolution of hydrotherapeutic theory. - The specific skills and specialist care required for attending births in this setting. - Key research and debates surrounding the many aspects of waterbirth. - Practical guidance on engaging with parents when promoting waterbirth as an option. From an internationally renowned and respected midwife, this new edition retains the personal and engaging style that made the first edition so popular. The book is enhanced with photos taken from the author's own travels around the world, and features a wealth of interactive material - including an expansion of the Birth Story feature, whereby first-hand accounts of waterbirth from both mothers and practitioners worldwide provide an often moving conclusion to each chapter. With a strong focus on developing practitioners' knowledge and skills in this area, enabling them to confidently offer waterbirth as a safe and viable option, this classic text is an invaluable one-stop resource for anyone with academic, professional or personal interests in waterbirth.

Nursing and midwifery are inspiring and amazing professions - but as you face the realities of juggling work, study and life, you may now be thinking 'what did I let myself in for'? This book is designed to help anyone who is struggling and needs a little (or a lot of) guidance. It's packed with useful information and practical exercises to help nursing and midwifery students cope with all the major sources of stress - including: juggling time succeeding in assignments and exams understanding what's expected in real life and on placements managing finances coping with stress applying for jobs and more Written by authors who have helped countless students from a wide range of backgrounds conquer their problems, this book will help you to succeed in your journey to becoming a registered nurse or midwife.

We have written this book because the story it tells warrants a wide audience. We see the purpose of this book as informing discussion and decision-making around reconfigurations of maternity care, so that planning, communication, management and recruitment can be improved and shared vision articulated and understood.A" Throughout the world, women-centred care is gaining prominence in providing maternity care. Many birth centres open each year to meet this need - but at the same time, many close or are shelved. So why should the turnover in organisations that deliver such a vital service to women be so high, thwarting many midwives from practising as they would wish? This carefully researched and passionate book tells the story of a birth centre that did fail, and the painful but valuable lessons it presents for others. Many of the issues and behaviours illustrated - lack of leadership, support, vision and plain-dealing, and tensions between bureaucracy and women-centred care - will find resonance in maternity services and midwifery experiences in the UK and throughout the world. Tensions and Barriers in Improving Maternity Care is a vital and challenging resource for all midwives, managers and policy makers and shapers with an interest in maternity and women-centred care. "A remarkably detailed analysis of the politics of a birth centre trapped in a medicalised system that threatened and rapidly destroyed it. It is a vivid example of how autonomous midwifery is undermined by an organisational structure in which management focuses exclusively on one model of care." - From the Foreword by Sheila Kitzinger 'I would recommend this powerful book to all supervisors of midwives as it provides profound insights into the impact of loss and grief upon the midwives who are often left feeling isolated and vulnerable when dealing with difficult circumstances.' - Nessa McHugh, lecturer in midwifery at Edinburgh Napier University, and leader of the Preparation and Practice of Supervisors of Midwives programme.

From 1950 until 2001, Lovie Beard Shelton practiced midwifery in eastern North Carolina homes, delivering some 4,000 babies to black, white, Mennonite, and hippie women; to those too poor to afford a hospital birth; and to a few rich enough to have any kind of delivery they pleased. Her life, which was about giving life, was conspicuously marked by loss, including the untimely death of her husband and the murder of her son. Lovie is a provocative chronicle of Shelton's life and work, which spanned enormous changes in midwifery and in the ways women give birth. In this artful exploration of documentary fieldwork, Lisa Yarger confronts the choices involved in producing an authentic portrait of a woman who is at once loner and self-styled folk hero. Fully embracing the difficulties of telling a true story, Yarger is able to get at the story of telling the story. As Lovie describes her calling, we meet a woman who sees herself working in partnership with God and who must wrestle with the question of what happens when a woman who has devoted her life to service, to doing God's work, ages out of usefulness. When I'm no longer a midwife, who am I? Facing retirement and a host of health issues, Lovie attempts to fit together the jagged pieces of her life as she prepares for one final home birth.

This newly updated, step-by-step guide to the key points of conducting the GYN exam addresses everything both busy nurse practitioners and NP students need to know, from basic procedures to high-level challenges. Part I breaks down the GYN exam into clinical parts, emphasizing strategies to decrease anxiety and minimize discomfort at every stage of the exam. Part II walks the caregiver through the exam for women at every stage of the life span, sexually abused women, obese women, and women who have undergone genital mutilation. This second edition delivers an all-new chapter on providing care to transgender and LGBT women and includes new information on intimate partner violence and working with adolescents and menopausal and older women. Comprehensive and organized for easy access to information, the book features prominently displayed key points, learning objectives, and ""Fast Facts in a Nutshell"" boxes based on the authors' more than 40 years of teaching experience. Along with the most up-to-date information on STIs, Pap guidelines across the life span, and recommendations on the well-woman exam, this concise guide comes with a wealth of essential resources, including links to instructional videos and free apps for patient and practitioner education, adding to the book's value as an indispensable, quick-access guide to delivering excellent holistic care to women. New to the Second Edition: New chapter on examining the transgender and LGBT woman Latest information on intimate partner violence Updates on examining adolescents and menopausal and older women New information on female genital mutilation New CDC STD guidelines New Pap guidelines across the life span New ACOG guidelines for the well-woman exam Links to instructional videos Free apps for patient and practitioner education Key Features: Delivers easy-to-read, bulleted information in a convenient pocket size Provides learning objectives, key points, and Fast Facts in a Nutshell Includes tips on examining special populations including obese, anxious, multiparous, pediatric, menopausal, and older patients Provides a microscopy flow sheet and summary, instructions for performing an anal Pap smear, and patient education guidelines Serves as a refresher for those studying for the WHNP Exam

The main aim of this practical "Handbook" is to strengthen counselling and communication skills of skilled attendants (SAs) and other health providers, helping them to effectively discuss with women, families and communities the key issues surrounding pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, postnatal and post-abortion care. "Counselling for Maternal and Newborn Health Care" is divided into three main sections. Part 1 is an introduction which describes the aims and objectives and the general layout of the Handbook. Part 2 describes the counselling process and outlines the six key steps to effective counselling. It explores the counselling context and factors that influence this context including the socio-economic, gender, and cultural environment. A series of guiding principles is introduced and specific counselling skills are outlined. Part 3 focuses on different maternal and newborn health topics, including general care in the home during pregnancy; birth and emergency planning; danger signs in pregnancy; post-abortion care; support during labor; postnatal care of the mother and newborn; family planning counselling; breastfeeding; women with HIV/AIDS; death and bereavement; women and violence; linking with the community.Each Session contains specific aims and objectives, clearly outlining the skills that will be developed and corresponding learning outcomes. Practical activities have been designed to encourage reflection, provoke discussions, build skills and ensure the local relevance of information. There is a review at the end of each session to ensure the SAs have understood the key points before they progress to subsequent sessions.