This work looks specifically at research relevant to the care provided by midwives for childbearing women and their families. The studies encompass many areas of midwifery practice, education and management and topics covered include antenatal care, supportive care in labour, reasons for not breast feeding, the role and responsibilities of the midwife and women's experiences of childbirth. These studies illustrate the diversity of research methods appropriate to the study of midwifery, ranging from randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effects of clinical procedures, to detailed observational studies to describe interactions between midwives and women in their care.