ABSTRACT
As we have seen, health services for childbirth today are in disarray. The changes in the organization and content of maternity services that have taken place in Europe over the past thirty years are being subjected to a new critical scrutiny. The staffing of maternity services is seen to raise fundamental questions about the needs of mothers, babies, and families and about who is best able to meet those needs. This is one context within which today’s debate about the role of the midwife is carried on: What is wrong with the official health services for pregnancy and birth, and where does the midwife stand as the expert in normal processes?
