ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with a brief overview of the physiology of pregnancy and breastfeeding before discussing the social, epidemiological and emotional context of having a baby and becoming a parent. Looking at both the UK and the global picture, it provides a backdrop for subsequent chapters which focus on midwifery and maternity care delivery. Its aim is to help readers understand what it means to become a mother, what impacts on women’s experiences and how that appraisal might be enhanced by the care midwives give.
