Midwifery, Mind and Spirit

Book excerpt: All midwives have a professional obligation through the Midwives' Rules to meet the spiritual needs of mothers. This topical and easy to read book will help them. It explains the nature of spiritual care, dispelling the myth that it is only concerned with religion, and explores its role as an integral part of midwifery practice, using case histories as illustrations. The issues relating to educating midwives and students are discussed and suggestions made for course content. Exploration is made of the role of others in giving spiritual care and how the midwife fits in to these present patterns of care. The conclusion of this book provides a resource for potential future research questions.