Heart and Hands: A Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy and Birth

An extremely readable and inviting overview of the profession of midwifery and of parents' and midwives' experiences of pregnancy & birth. I'd recommend it to doulas looking for more in-depth information than the standard pregnancy/birth guides offer, to people considering midwifery as a life path, and to pregnant folks who want to understand the finer details of their prenatal, birth, & postpartum care (but not to those who don't want to hear about what might go wrong).

"Heart and Hands" is a beautifully illustrated guide for midwifery students and experienced midwives alike. Anybody contemplating becoming a midwife should start by reading this book. It will give you a good idea of what it takes to be a good midwife. The author Elizabeth Davis is a certified midwife and healthcare specialist. She compiled a great guide on anything relevant to a successful midwifery practice. In great detail, she goes over topics such as:

- Prenatal Care
- Problems in Pregnancy
- Assisting at Births
- Complications in Labor
- Postpartum Care
- Becoming a Midwife
- The Midwife's Practice

At the end of the book she included a wealth of resources; from forms of the medical history, birth record, newborn exam, and progress show more notes to the essential items in a midwifery kit and a list with Midwifery School Programs - Davis thought of everything and I'm glad she shared her knowledge with us.

Overall, I highly recommend this book!! show less