Katja Schrøder - Böcker

Midwifery has a strong position in the Nordic countries, and a history over several centuries as a profession with a professional responsibility for normal birth. Even if midwifery has a long tradition, the theoretical base needs to be developed for midwives and other professionals in the field. The idea behind this book is to describe and discuss Nordic midwifery related to its own context as well as in an international perspectve. The book is divided into three parts. Part 1 presents midwifery in its Nordic context. Part 2 presents theories, concepts, and perspectives in midwifery, such as evidence-based midwifery, perspectives on childbearing, salutogenesis, normal birth, midwife–woman relationship, woman-centred care, family-centred care, continuity of care, place of birth, and support. The editors of this book have chosen these theories, concepts, and perspectives as they are central to international midwifery and also are used by Nordic researchers. The third part of this book consists of eight chapters presenting examples of theories and concepts developed in the Nordic countries. This part also includes a chapter about continuity of care in a Danish context, the only Nordic country with this care model.The target groups for this book are midwifery students, PhD students, and researchers as well as midwives, obstetricians, nurses, and other health professionals.

Childbirth is a site of ongoing struggle over meaning, authority, regulation and control. This edited collection offers critical perspectives on current challenges in birth care by exploring how birth is shaped by competing epistemologies: medical, cultural, experiential and political.The book addresses analytically and theoretically some of the many negotiations, tensions, contestations and dilemmas with regard to care practices as well as birthing experiences. Moreover, the book reflects on how these challenges can be grasped as dilemmas moving beyond the often-declared dichotomy between medical and midwifery models of care or natural versus medical birth. The chapters are authored by researchers within the fields of social and human sciences, located geographical in different countries within different historical, organisational and political birth care settings.The book is oriented to not only scholars and students with interest into birth care but also practitioners and stakeholders politically and professionally engaged in the development of maternity care practices and settings.