A Book for Midwives

“Women and families will always need compassionate and respectful care before, during, and after birth.”

— A Book for Midwives

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. In addition to hundreds of user-friendly illustrations and plain-language explanations of care during and after pregnancy and birth, A Book for Midwives also shows how to engage families and the community to make women healthier and safer. 

Equally useful in a variety of settings, from the rural village or an urban clinic, this guide serves as a training manual for students or as a reference for experienced midwives. Topics in this lifesaving resource include staying healthy during pregnancy; preventing and managing, and treating emergencies during pregnancy and birth; ways to make birth safer; breastfeeding; the health needs of new babies; STIs, HIV, and cancer; family planning; care for miscarriage; manual vacuum aspiration; designing low-cost equipment; involving community in women’s health; and more.

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View Sample Pages

Table of Contents (PDF)
Chapter 6: Common Changes in Pregnancy (PDF)

Praise for A Book for Midwives

“As in Where There Is No Doctor, the Hesperian Foundation has again created a clearly written and culturally sensitive book which can be used by healthcare providers throughout the world who care for women and their babies and families...an excellent resource providing accurate technical information."
— Kathy Herschderfer, Secretary General, International Confederation of Midwives

"This comprehensive text for midwives is beautifully written and illustrated for teaching purposes in areas of the world in which maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality are quite high. The book is our best tool so far for preventing unnecessary deaths."
— Ina May Gaskin, author of Spiritual Midwifery

“A Book for Midwives not only provided the template with which to teach in developing countries, but also helped us create an inclusive and grassroots approach to clinical teaching, while showing us how to stay professional as well.”
— Pam Silverstein, MD FACOG, Health Development Initiative-Rwanda

“A Book for Midwives has been found and used as a good resource by community midwives during training and in their practices after training for building their knowledge and skills. In some cases… A Book for Midwives encouraged the primary health providers, such as female vaccinators, to apply and attend community midwife training programs.”
— Hamidullah Saljuqi, Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance, Afghanistan