Oxford Handbook of Midwifery

768 Pages·2011·2.32 MB·English

by  Janet Medforth

OXFORD MEDICAL PUBLICATIONS
Oxford Handbook of
Midwifery
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Oxford Handbook of
Midwifery
SECOND EDITION
Edited by
Janet Medforth
Senior Midwifery Lecturer and Lead Midwife Educator
Faculty of Health and Well Being
Sheffi eld Hallam University, UK
Susan Battersby
Independent Lecturer/Researcher Infant Feeding, UK
Maggie Evans
Freelance Lecturer and Consultant in Midwifery
and Complementary Therapies, UK
Beverley Marsh
Senior Midwifery Lecturer, Faculty of Health and Well
Being, Sheffi eld Hall University, UK
Angela Walker
Lecturer in Midwifery, Contraception and Sexual
Health and Independent/Supplementary Nurse/Midwife
Prescribing; Clinic Nurse Co-ordinator, Contraception
and Sexual Health Service, Derbyshire Community Health
Services NHS Trust, Chesterfi eld, UK
Previously Senior Midwifery Lecturer, The University of
Sheffi eld (retired)

1
1

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First edition published 2006
Second edition published 2011
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v
Foreword from the fi rst
edition
Midwifery is the art of the possibility. It requires insight, understanding
and empathy. Above all it is about delivering the information and serv-
ices, which women and their families need. In the rapidly changing fi eld of
health and social care this is no mean feat and in spite of the advances of
technology and information retrieval, access to a handbook is as invalu-
able as ever.
I have been privileged to be involved in the development of the
fi rst Oxford Handbook of Midwifery and am aware of the enthusiasm,
commitment and attention to detail that the authors have strived for in
bringing this publication from ‘conception to birth’. Throughout they have
sought to provide an important, informative and evidence based tool for
midwives and others working in maternity and family health services. In
its construction, the handbook refl ects the woman’s journey through
childbirth as well as the context in which maternity and midwifery care
is delivered.
It is my view that the O xford Handbook of Midwifery will provide an
important foundation upon which current and future student midwives
might begin to plan and develop their professional knowledge and
practice skills. For qualifi ed midwives, junior doctors and other healthcare
professionals the handbook provides a framework and ready reference
upon which they can advance their knowledge and understanding.
It enables easy access to essential elements of midwifery care and will
certainly help midwives more effectively structure the information and
advice they give to women.
This is a welcomed addition to the midwifery literature and a resource
which is likely to become part and parcel of the midwife’s ‘bag of tools’.
I commend this work to the profession and trust that it will aid midwives
and other healthcare professionals in meeting the demands and challenges
of health service provision in the 21st century.
Professor Paul Lewis
Academic Head of Midwifery & Child Health
Bournemouth University
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vii
Preface
Since the fi rst edition of the O xford Handbook of Midwifery was pub-
lished in 2006, maternity services and midwifery education face further
challenges and developments. The structure of the health service is to
undergo radical change and midwifery education is now offered at degree
level in all UK universities. Infl uential Department of Health initiatives
focus on the wider public health role of the midwife and strengthen the
place of the midwife as the key organiser of care for all pregnant women,
regardless of the risk factors women may face1 .
This book continues to be a handy reference guide for both Midwives
and Student Midwives. It has been updated to refl ect current guidelines
and protocols in both obstetric and midwifery practice. New chapters
are included on the impact of obesity during pregnancy and diabetes.
Many chapters have been substantially revised or rewritten to refl ect
the changing nature of midwifery practice. There is a brand new section
on sexual health with many aspects included for the fi rst time and the
contraception section provides the latest advice on new contraceptive
methods.
This edition provides concise, practical and accessible content about
the essential elements of midwifery practice in a pocket sized format.
Chapters provide information on assessment, diagnosis, management and
advice to give to the mother and family. The chapters are arranged so
that the journey from pregnancy to birth and beyond can be followed
easily. The page-to-a-topic format, followed through the majority of the
book, means that information is easily available without the need to scan
large volumes of text to fi nd relevant principles. In the centre of the book
there is a useful section on emergencies, marked by full-length blue page
borders, so that it can be found quickly.
Although the book is intended for use by midwives and students it will
also prove useful to others who work with women and families such as
health visitors, community nurses, general practitioner trainees, childbirth
educators and medical students. The book is illustrated throughout by
diagrams, checklists and algorithms for key interventions.

1 Department of Health (2010). Midwifery 2020: Delivering expectations . London: Department of
Health.
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ix
Acknowledgements
In producing a second edition of the book we are indebted to a number of
people who have assisted us along the way. As authors we could not have
produced the book without the excellent support of the editorial team
at Oxford University Press. Anna Winstanley and Beth Womack have
very patiently guided us through the process once again. Many thanks for
your patience and support. Thanks also to Michael Hawkes for last minute
advice and guidance.
Grateful thanks also to the Jessop Wing Maternity Unit, Sheffi eld
Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust; for access to guidelines, evidence based
protocols and care pathways.
Angela Thurlby contributed chapters on neonatal care in our fi rst
edition and has kindly reviewed and updated these; thank you Angela.
Finally, our search for illustrations and the process of gaining permission
to use the work of others has proved more arduous than expected. We
are therefore particularly indebted to Stella Medforth for producing such
beautifully clear drawings at very short notice to illustrate the care in
labour chapters.