ABSTRACT

What is the reality of being a midwife at the beginning of the twenty-first century? What is it like to help and support women throughout pregnancy and childbirth and into motherhood? What roles can midwives play in society?

Becoming a Midwife explores what it is to be a midwife, looking at the factors that make midwifery such a special profession, as well as some of the challenges. The chapters cover a variety of settings and several different stages in a woman’s pregnancy. Each one is narrated by a midwife who introduces their own theme, recounts a vignette that throws light on their understanding of midwifery and reasons for becoming a midwife and any subsequent career moves. Drawing together these insights, the editors show what it means to be a midwife today.

Suitable for those contemplating a career in midwifery and providing an opportunity for reflection for more experienced midwives, this thought-provoking book is an invaluable contribution to midwifery.

part |2 pages

Part 1 The midwife and the institution

part |2 pages

Part 2 The midwife and the wider environment

chapter 5|12 pages

The midwife manager

chapter 6|14 pages

The midwife who is in education

chapter 7|10 pages

The supervisor of midwives

chapter 8|10 pages

The academic midwife

chapter 9|12 pages

The midwife as a researcher

chapter 10|13 pages

The midwife historian

chapter 11|14 pages

The global midwife

chapter 12|13 pages

The independent midwife

chapter 13|13 pages

A male midwife’s perspective

chapter 14|11 pages

The midwife who is not a mother

chapter 15|13 pages

The midwife who is an author

chapter 16|13 pages

The ex-midwife