resources
Medical conditions affecting pregnancy and childbirth
Medical conditions affecting pregnancy and childbirth by Judy Bothamley and Maureen Boyle. 2009, Oxford, Radcliffe Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84619-240-1.
Bernadette Gregory, Senior Lecturer in Midwifery at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK, reviews Medical conditions affecting pregnancy and childbirth by Judy Bothamley and Maureen Boyle. 2009, Oxford, Radcliffe Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84619-240-1
This comprehensive and up-to-date book is one of a number of textbooks published on medical conditions affecting pregnancy and childbirth.
It uses the latest Perinatal Mortality report (2007) to highlight some of the reasons why health professionals are encountering more women whose pregnancies are complicated by medical conditions. It then uses the latest National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence antenatal guidelines (2008) to inform midwives so that they can be confident in the care they offer these women.
Written by midwifery lecturers for midwives and student midwives, it highlights the key role a midwife plays in the multi-disciplinary team. That is, to co-ordinate and provide care, while being able to promote an element of normality and some continuity to what will be a life-changing experience.
There are an increasing number of women faced with a myriad of diagnostic tests, an array of medication, and concerns for their own and their baby's health. For them, it must be even more important to have the support of knowledgeable midwives who are able to recognise a condition and its deterioration, and make a timely and appropriate referral.
This full colour textbook includes physiological explanations of the condition and principles of care for preconception, pregnancy, labour, birth and the postnatal period. The book is greatly enhanced by the inclusion of diagrams, illustrations, reference tables and detailed information on diagnostic tests. Each chapter can be read independently but there are many examples of cross-referencing, where it is recognised that some conditions predispose to others.
The authors use international papers throughout this well-referenced book. It deals well with psychosocial issues. It stresses how a diagnosis of a condition may be viewed differently by each individual because of issues such as ethnicity and previous experiences. This underlines how important it is for midwives to support each woman in a variety of ways to meet individual needs. This point is reiterated when discussing why some women, identified as most in need of early and timely support, often find it difficult to access services. Midwives are urged to be proactive in engaging with these women to ensure they receive the care needed to improve their pregnancy outcomes and maintain their own health.
There is particular emphasis on the importance of preconceptual care. While acknowledging that many pregnancies are unplanned, it is clear that outcomes can be improved considerably with certain medical conditions if starting pregnancy in optimum health. This book states that although some women will need input from obstetricians, midwives have a crucial role in their care. Their pregnancy, birth and new parent experience can be immeasurably improved by knowledgeable and committed midwives.
This book gives practical solutions to help midwives work in partnership with women. It acknowledges throughout the need for sensitive and individualised responses to women's emotional and physical concerns.
References
Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health (CEMACH). 2009. Perinatal mortality report 2007. London: CEMACH. Available from www.cemach.org.ukNational Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence Guidelines (NICE). 2008. Antenatal care: routine care for the healthy pregnant woman. London: NICE. Available from www.nice.org.uk