Ina May Gaskin

A vital resource for practicing midwives and midwifery training programs, A Book for Midwives covers the essentials of care before, during, and after birth. This illustrated guide equips midwives, birth attendants, and families with the information they need for healthier pregnancies and safer births. Inside, you'll find information on: staying healthy during pregnancy – eating well when there is limited access to food, understanding changes to the body, and preventing and treating malaria and HIV during pregnancyhaving safer labors and births – cleaning and sterilizing tools to prevent infection, recognizing warning signs during labor, handling complicated deliveries like breech births or twins, and preventing and treating postpartum hemorrhagesuccessful breastfeeding – helpful suggestions, treating cracked nipples and painful abscesses in the breast, and what to do when the mother works outside the homehomemade tools and teaching materials – instructions for low-cost timers, stethoscopes, and scales, and patterns for simple teaching models that can be made from paper or clothfamily planning and sexual health – birth control methods, IUD insertion and removal, physical and emotional care for miscarriage, safe methods of abortion, performing pelvic exams, and treatment of HIV and other STIspreventing and treating obstetric emergencies as well as advanced topics like administering fluids intravenously, inserting a catheter, and sewing a tear or episiotomy With their unique combination of knowledge and accessibility, midwives are essential to the worldwide struggle for maternal and child health. This trusted resource provides accurate information to support their vital work. Beyond clear depictions of pregnancy and birth, the hundreds of non-clinical, hand-drawn illustrations and plain language used in A Book for Midwives enables midwives and health trainers to involve families and communities in efforts to make pregnancy and birth safer and improve women’s health. About Hesperian Health Guides: Hesperian partners with health workers, community members, medical professionals, and others around the world to develop, publish, and share accurate health information. To help all people take greater control over their health, Hesperian’s books are written using plain, easy-to-understand language, feature plentiful illustrations and are regularly updated with the latest medical information.