Normal Childbirth

Normal childbirth should be the right of the majority, not a chosen few. Midwives need to be aware of the wide parameters of 'normal' in order to practise autonomously, effectively and safely. This text offers an applicable source book on multiple aspects of normal birth, proposing various approaches and paradigms for future research and practice.

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Normal childbirth should be the right of the majority: not a chosen few. With the increasing risk of litigation, there is often a move to err on the side of caution and classify women as 'at risk' if they present with even a hint of a problem. This is a contested area, with wide interpretation of terminology and midwives need to be aware of the wide parameters of 'normal' in order to practise autonomously, effectively and safely. Soo Downe covers a wide variety of subjects, with international contributors giving the benefit of their expertise. This evidence-based text offers a widely applicable source book on multiple aspects of normal birth, proposing new approaches and paradigms for future research and practice.