ABSTRACT
Nothing has been written to date that has fully addressed the complexity of the relationship between each woman’s aspirations and maternity care – not to mention the task of meeting her needs and desires. However, it is possible that this can be addressed by an experienced, competent midwife at a practical level. The midwife, however, must respect and support the woman, her choices and her decisions and recognise the natural rhythms of life before any intervention with the intention of improving it. This chapter discusses the development of Chinese midwifery, four emerging themes, issues encountered in the book and where Chinese midwifery should go from here. It also recognises the contributions of the present book in filling the gap which exists in our knowledge. It has argued the case for international communities to learn what midwifery is in China and calls for strategic planning and political action on the part of all midwives and support of the government’s policy to strive for the healthy intellectual development of midwifery in China and elsewhere. The evidence and debate in the book are believed to be able to challenge and intrigue readers and to show the way for future research.
