ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines three major new developments since 1997, following the nadir of Chinese midwifery, which have fundamentally changed the experiences of women and midwives. These developments are Chinese ‘doulas’, a midwife-led normal birth unit, and the establishment of the first midwifery research unit in China. The first two represent a paradox regarding the advancement of midwifery. In order to understand and further the development of midwifery, the Midwifery Research Unit came into being and has stimulated studies of midwifery in China.
