Myles' Textbook for Midwives

Section 1: Midwifery: The midwife. The social context of childbirth and motherhood. Woman-centred, midwife-friendly care. Ethics in midwifery. Evidence-based practice. The history and regulation of midwifery. Section 2: Human anatomy and reproduction: The female pelvis and reproductive organs. The female urinary tract. Hormonal cycles: fertilisation and early development. The placenta. The fetus. Section 3: Pregnancy: Preparing for pregnancy. Change and adaptation in pregnancy. Parent education: a new dimension. Special exercises for pregnancy, labour and the puerperium. Antenatal care. Abnormalities of early pregnancy. Problems of pregnancy. Common medical disorders associated with pregnancy. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Sexually transmissible and reproductive tract infections in pregnancy. Multiple pregnancy. Specialised antenatal investigations. Section 4: Labour:The first stage of labour: physiology and early care. The first stage of labour: management. Pain relief and comfort in labour. Transition and the second stage of labour. Physiology and management of the third stage of labour. Prolonged pregnancy and disorders of uterine action. Malpositions of the occiput and malpresentations. Operative deliveries. Midwifery and obstetric emergencies. Section 5: The puerperium: Physiology and care in the puerperium. Physical problems and complications in the puerperium. The psychology and psychopathology of pregnancy and childbirth. Family planning. Bereavement and loss in maternity care. Section 6: The new-born baby: The baby at birth. The normal birth. Feeding. The healthy low birthweight baby. Recognising the ill baby. Respiratory problems. Trauma during birth, haemorrhage and convulsions. Congenital abnormalities. Jaundice and infection. Metabolic problems, endocrine disorders and drug withdrawal. Section 7: The context of midwifery practice: Pharmacology and childbirth. Complementary and alternative medicine in maternity care. Community, public health and social services. Supervision of midwives and clinical governance. Risk management. Organisation of the health services in the United Kingdom. International midwifery. Vital statistics.