[homebirthing]

I know that there are a couple must haves as far as midwifery books...which ones do you recommend I buy? I am not going to even but a NARM packet any time in the near future, as I don't want my midwifery training (whenever it starts) to be all about what I can check off in the box. What books are a must have?

Thanks!!

 

[Joyce in the mts.]

You might, depending on your level of expertise and knowledge, enjoy this little ditty by Daphne Singingtree:

http://www.midwiferytoday.com/Mercha...duct_Code=BSMW

It's intro to midwifery and I bought it a few months back and am not sorry I did. But then, your mileage may vary!

Best wishes and megasupport on your path from me!...
Joyce in the mts.

 

[loved]

My favorites -
Holistic Midwifery - Anne Frye
Myles Textbook for Midwives
Heart & Hands - Elizabet Davis (for the drawings)

more technical:
Human Labor and Birth - Oxorn-Foote
Varney's Midwifery
Maye's Midwifery

 

[Defenestrator]

I like the Birthsong workbook by Daphne Singingtree. I have found it useful for organizing my studying. My local study group plans to start working through it.

Myles Midwifery is a good overview, but I found very little practical skills within it.

I like Anne Frye's books -- all of them. She is very meticulous, but she is an excellent researcher and her work is very thorough.

I have also picked up a few books on newborn assessment. A lot of the OB textbooks are not very useful for the other part of our job -- providing assessment and care of newborn babies.

I have a very old edition of Hearts and Hands which has a lot of practices in it that I consider out of date or not evidence-based, but perhaps the new editions address that. It does have very useful drawings.

Along the same lines, I like Special Delivery by Rahima Baldwin, even though there are things I disagree with in it.

Good luck!

 

[hippiemom]

Spiritual Midwifery has been my very favorite book of all time for many years now... I still take it with me anytime I travel. I never tire of reading it, and still find something new every time. I also love Ina May's Guide to Childbirth.

 

[Jilian]

I really enjoyed the baby catcher by Peggy Vincent. It was the book that convinced me that I cannot ignore my inner calling and I must become a midwife.

 

[homemademomma]

anne frye's books are excellent. i reference hers more than most of my other books. i have holistic midwifery, diagnostic tests, and healing passages (on suturing). i also like varney's because it covers a lot of stuff, but i definitely dont agree with a lot of the practice. i wish frye would put out her intrapartum book!
oxorn and foot is a good practical manual, but very medically oriented. i love heart and hands too. the american heart association puts out a neonatal resuscitation handbook to accompany their class. you should definitely get that book and take that class, IMO. and of course spiritual midwifery.
baby catcher, like a pp mentioned, is a great fiction read with lots of little practical tidbits.
after the baby's birth (cant remember the author) is a good pp book.

 

[pamamidwife]

I love the following:

Mayes Midwifery - a midwifery text from the UK, but really very, very good.

Williams Obstetrics - THE definitive obstetric textbook. So GOOD. Thorough, great illustrations/pictures and a wonderful resource.

I like Anne Frye's Holistic Midwifery Vol I really well, though at times her books are TOO thorough and often over the top

Her book on labor & birth, Holistic Midwifery Volume II is interesting, though I could do without about 2/3 of the book. Again, a little TOO detailed and too much info. Kind of overwhelming to me, I'd imagine it might freak out any student, esp where she lists what you should bring to a birth, etc.

Anatomy & Physiology for Midwives is another great book. It's a UK midwifery text.

The Midwife Companion - ABSOLUTELY essential reading for anyone attending women in birth.

THEN, I'd highly recommend any and ALL books by Michel Odent. A MUST READ to balance all the technical stuff in midwifery education.

 

[blissful_maia]

I have a really good textbook, it's part of the Midwifery curriculum at my university: It's called

The New Midwifery: Science and Sensitivity in Practice

It definitely doesn't cover all the technical bases, etc. but addresses an important issue as far as how to provide safe, encompassing care while still being a woman and friend!

Good luck!

 

[Carolinamidwife]

I LOVE Heart and Hands, it may be my favorite textbook. I can't tolerate Ann Frye... but I'm alone on that, LOL. Her Diagnostic Tests book nearly blew a gasket in my brain.

Heart and Hands
Spiritual Midwifery
Varney's (my fav reference book)

I'm drawing a total blank here...

 

[mwherbs]

I have seen many good books already mentioned one that hasn't been mentioned is the midwifery skills book by Weaver and Evans
i will send a couple other book names later- have to find them
one is a recently published midwifery text that includes some alternative things
L8ter

 

[AngelBee]

:

 

[mwherbs]

a medical dictionary or a medical terminology handbook are good things to have around -

 

[sevenkids]

I LOVE Heart and Hands, it may be my favorite textbook. I can't tolerate Ann Frye... but I'm alone on that, LOL. Her Diagnostic Tests book nearly blew a gasket in my brain.

QUOTE]

You're not alone Sistah! I cannot STAND her books either. 50 words where one will do.

: I wasn't enthralled with Heart and Hands either. I KNOW I'm alone on that! I could live without Varney's as well.

The books I found most useful were
Oxorn and Foote Human Labour and Birth,
Myles Textbook for Midwives,
Ambulatory Obstetrics (very concise, to the point, easy to find the information needed, this is probably the book I refer to the most)
Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year ( I use this a lot)
Physical Assessment of the Newborn

 

[mwherbs]

also have Bates- Physical Exam

you can get a medical dictionary that is a computer program and that can be convenient

PS I wanted to add that I really like Oxhorn and Foote as well