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Author Nadine Pilley Edwards |
Is home birth dangerous for women and babies? Should women decide where to have their babies? Home birth is a highly contentious issue in a number of countries, including Britain. The UK Government appears to support a policy of more home births, while mainstream medical opinion remains firmly opposed to it and a growing number of woman and midwives struggle to make it a realistic option. Research suggests that for healthy woman and babies home birth is safe and has certain benefits for those who plan it, yet woman planning home births are sometimes accused of being reckless and of taking risks with their babies' and their own lives. About the bookBirthing Autonomy brings some balance to these difficult arguments by focusing on woman's views and their experiences of planning home births. It is the first in-depth exploration of how woman make decisions about home births and what aspects matter most to them. The book compares how differently the pros and cons of home births are constructed and contemplated by mothers and by the medical profession, and looks at how current obstetric thinking and practices can disempower and harm woman emotionally and spiritually as well as physically. The book is written in an accessible way and will be enlightening for student and practising midwives and obstetricians, as well as researchers and students of nursing, medical sociology, health studies, gender studies, feminist practitioners and theorists. It will be also be invaluable to expectant mothers who want to be more informed about choices they are facing and the wider context within which their birth options are considered. |
Links
The Birth Resource Centre in Edinburgh provides a resource for women and their partners before and after childbirth.
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About the authorNadine Pilley Edwards has worked with AIMS since 1980. She is a part-time research associate at the University of Sheffield and lectures and writes on maternity issues in the UK and overseas. She has written numerous articles and chapters on the relationships between woman and midwives, informed choices, safety and risk, and research methods. Contact
Contact number: +44 (0)131 229 6259 |
| About the book | About the author | Contact | Links | Buy now |
AIMS... at the forefront of the childbirth movement for more than forty years.
The Independent Midwives Association was founded by a group of independent midwives in July 1985. The Association exists for the dissemination of information about, and support for, independent midwives.
The Association of Radical Midwives is and Association of midwives, student midwives and others in the UK committed to improving the maternity care provided by the NHS.
