"Old" vs. "New" Midwifery Books

Specialties CNM

Published

I am most likely being very petty here, but that is how my relationship with my sister works. I am graduating in August :p( YAY!!) with my RN and plan on going onto my CNM. My sister, on the otherhand, claims she wants to become a lay midwife and has since bought numerous books on the subject. Now, don't get me wrong, I have all the respect in the world for midwives of all types and the magical work they do. My issue is with the books she bought. MOST of the books are from the 1960's to 1980's. I know that the good old basics never change and there could be some valuable info in there, but what drives me crazy is the hospital/Dr. bashing. It's not that I am naive here. I realize that there are currently "interventions" being done in hospitals that could be modified or done away with, but give me a break! Some of the stuff written in these books is so outdated it is just ludicrous.:uhoh3: I really don't need her (or anyone else for that matter) spouting off a bunch of crap that hasn't existed or been an issue since 1982. It turns me off to the point that I can't even get through one of the books without getting annoyed and not reading anymore of it. Am I being ridiculous or what? (Yes) Can anyone point me to some titles/authors of some more recent books on midwifery that may be useful and informational? Maybe there are books which aren't so much "bashing" as they are helpful to try and integrate medical with natural birth? It would be great not having to buy a bunch of books o' crap and end up wasting money.

Thanks so much for your input!:tku:

Specializes in Emergency Department.
Sorry to offend anyone by using the term "lay" but not all homebirth midwives are Certified Professional Midwives. We have some that use the designation CM, or DEM. I just used it to refer to non-CNM. Sorry:o

The only ones who can use the CM designation are those who graduated from programs accredited ACNM/ACMB and even CMs are DEMs since they are not nurse-midwives :rolleyes: Gotta love this alphabet soup! No wonder everyone is confused about midwives :confused:

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Specializes in Emergency Department.
Apgar10-

I didn't mean to offend you by using "lay-midwife" and CPM synonymously (sp?).

No long-term worries :chuckle "Lay midwife" has been used as a catch-all term to define a non-nurse-midwife for a long time but now as standardized academic education, versus the traditional stand alone apprenticeship model, is becoming more the norm and the CPM credential is available (independent of licensing) it now has an implied meaning of uneducated.

I would love to work together with my sister,

I meant more symbolically if not literally. Being a midwife is a political job and if you two can learn to see what the other is all about, respecting choices and pathways, you'll be miles ahead some of your real world counterparts having a hard time figuring it out :argue:

but she gives off the impression that she will only work with a certain group of women- the ones who are fortunate to be low-risk and are comfortable enough with themselves and the birth-process to be able to have a birth at home.

Well don't take that as a form of snobbery, it's really her only choice if she will never be a CNM. By default DEMs are "doomed" to the luxury of low-risk healthy women who choose to give birth at home.

I, on the other hand, feel it is MORE important to help those who are not-so-comfortable. I agree with okchug all the way...

I can feel your passion, but remember what you feel about your mission is exactly the same as she feels about her mission. No woman or choices is LESS important as far as I am concerned.

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Specializes in Med-Surge Tele, Clinical Informatics.

beckinben-Thank you for the great book titles!! And IMO I don't think my sis IS completely serious-another thing that gets under my skin about it.

Apgar10- I know you're right. I shouldn't take it as a form of snobbery. I know that is the clientelle she will be able to work with, and I try to remind myself that her choice is no less important. I just don't like it when she starts bashing hospitals and placing herself (and other women who gave birth at home) above others. I support homebirths and give kudos to those who do it, so why can't she see my side and do the same for me?:banghead:

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Ditto for the Anne Frye books.

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Specializes in Emergency Department.
Apgar10- I know you're right. I shouldn't take it as a form of snobbery. I know that is the clientelle she will be able to work with, and I try to remind myself that her choice is no less important. I just don't like it when she starts bashing hospitals and placing herself (and other women who gave birth at home) above others. I support homebirths and give kudos to those who do it, so why can't she see my side and do the same for me?:banghead:

I call this Curse of the Birth Junkie. It's an affliction that many of use future midwives suffer from early on. It takes a few years to lighten up on personal dogma. Wait until either one of you are in the midwife's seat and see how flexible you suddenly are to other ideas :chuckle

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Specializes in Emergency Department.
Holistic Midwifery by Anne Frye is probably the most comprehensive text for out of hospital birth. There are two volumes - prenatal care and intrapartum care. Volume 1 is getting older (1998), but I've heard it's good.

I have it but have rarely referred to it. I rely more on Varney for pregnancy. It was my go-to textbook in midwifery school too and I was to the point I knew exactly what page numbers certain issues were found on!

I have volume 2, it came out in 2004

I have used that more frequently. I hear there will "someday" be a postpartum/well-woman care book. Too bad they are S L O W in coming!

Anne Frye also has a new edition out of her book on diagnostic testing in pregnancy, which is also a good resource.

I use this frequently as a reference, as well as her suturing book Healing Passages. All of the books (expensive!) can be purchased here: MidwiferyBooks.com

The other text that many CPM-type programs use is Elizabeth Davis's Heart and Hands, which also came out with a new edition in 2004. I have that one, it is not very indepth and I think not sufficient by itself.

It was not used by my program at all, however, it is a key reference book for the NARM exam. In fact I recall a specific set of questions coming directly from that book which I decided to read the two nights preceding my own NARM testing. I'm glad I read it even if it was an afterthought!

I'm wondering if money is her issue? I know old books are cheap, but if she wants to be serious about midwifery, she is going to have to prepare to shell out some money for books.

ITA. I think I spendt about $2000 on textbooks for school. The average big book (Varney, Gabbe, Williams) was $100 - 200 each. Looking forward to nursing books now (and then later CNM school books, oy!).

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I am most likely being very petty here, but that is how my relationship with my sister works. I am graduating in August :p( YAY!!) with my RN and plan on going onto my CNM. My sister, on the otherhand, claims she wants to become a lay midwife and has since bought numerous books on the subject. Now, don't get me wrong, I have all the respect in the world for midwives of all types and the magical work they do. My issue is with the books she bought. MOST of the books are from the 1960's to 1980's. I know that the good old basics never change and there could be some valuable info in there, but what drives me crazy is the hospital/Dr. bashing. It's not that I am naive here. I realize that there are currently "interventions" being done in hospitals that could be modified or done away with, but give me a break! Some of the stuff written in these books is so outdated it is just ludicrous.:uhoh3: I really don't need her (or anyone else for that matter) spouting off a bunch of crap that hasn't existed or been an issue since 1982. It turns me off to the point that I can't even get through one of the books without getting annoyed and not reading anymore of it. Am I being ridiculous or what? (Yes) Can anyone point me to some titles/authors of some more recent books on midwifery that may be useful and informational? Maybe there are books which aren't so much "bashing" as they are helpful to try and integrate medical with natural birth? It would be great not having to buy a bunch of books o' crap and end up wasting money.

Thanks so much for your input!:tku:

We use Varney's midwifery in my CNM program, but I think it is probably applicable/used for other types of midwifery education. I also have Heart and Hands. I also think you will be surprised how many of those "1982" practices you will see in the hospital... As an L & D RN I am currently on a mission to get rid of the stirrups used in every single delivery in my hospital... I am hoping that will help with my next in line- routine episiotomy.

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Specializes in Med-Surge Tele, Clinical Informatics.

Ok, OK-I know I need to let it go, but....In Open Season (Nancy Wainer Cohen) she states: "Midwives who work in hospitals are not real midwives. They are nurses who have become midwives; they posess a medical training that has taught them that birth must take place in a hospital because "something might go wrong". If they haven't attended home births they are not real midwives and they don't know what real birth is." She goes on, but I will spare you.

Please, please tell me you guys don't agree with that! Cohen states that she can't respect nurse-midwives unless they can say "I'm a midwife" and feel that is enough with out throwing in the "nurse" part. Well, personally how can I respect Cohen or read her book if she is telling me I'm not going to be a "REAL" midwife because I'm you-know, part of the system, man, part of the establishment, part of the MAN.( Last sentence should be read in burnt-out hippie voice.)

I know that was juvenile, but she really burns by butt!:devil:

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I'm sorry but...you could put the book down.

They're are going to be lots of people with different opinions who feel they are absolutely RIGHT. It's an incredibly aggravating and self centered habit. The best we can do is try to not be one of them. :wink2:

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Ok, OK-I know I need to let it go, but....In Open Season (Nancy Wainer Cohen) she states: "Midwives who work in hospitals are not real midwives. They are nurses who have become midwives; they posess a medical training that has taught them that birth must take place in a hospital because "something might go wrong". If they haven't attended home births they are not real midwives and they don't know what real birth is." She goes on, but I will spare you.

Please, please tell me you guys don't agree with that! Cohen states that she can't respect nurse-midwives unless they can say "I'm a midwife" and feel that is enough with out throwing in the "nurse" part. Well, personally how can I respect Cohen or read her book if she is telling me I'm not going to be a "REAL" midwife because I'm you-know, part of the system, man, part of the establishment, part of the MAN.( Last sentence should be read in burnt-out hippie voice.)

I know that was juvenile, but she really burns by butt!:devil:

This is really sad IMHO Midwifery in the US has enough strugles with out infighting within the profession- I am a NURSE midwife I truely belive in the midwifery model and have worked in the home , birth units and hospitals and have pracisted differently in all three area whilst still beliving in birth and woman- should I pretend that I was never a nurse no it part of who I am it helped me start my jorney it to midwifery. Midwives come in all shapes and sizes and from meny different back grounds which is good as different people are needed for different situations plus midwives change and grow - Midwife with woman were ever that women may be.

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