Have you ever thought about how the placenta is born? Did you know that there are actually three different approaches to the birth of the placenta within maternity care? Are you aware that research has shown significant advantages to the baby in taking a slower approach, however the placenta is born. Or that there is plenty of evidence to support a more natural approach for healthy women who would prefer that? This book has been written to help women make decisions about the birth of their placenta. We examine the different options, detail the evidence relating to each and discuss the wider context in which these decisions are made. No matter what kind of birth you are hoping for, this book will help you understand the different options. Dr Nadine Edwards and Dr Sara Wickham are world renowned and respected researchers and writers who have a long-standing interest in the birth of the placenta and the evidence relating to this. This is a completely revised and updated edition of their popular book on this topic.

The delivery of high quality and equitable care for both mothers and newborns is complex and requires efforts across many sectors. The United States spends more on childbirth than any other country in the world, yet outcomes are worse than other high-resource countries, and even worse for Black and Native American women. There are a variety of factors that influence childbirth, including social determinants such as income, educational levels, access to care, financing, transportation, structural racism and geographic variability in birth settings. It is important to reevaluate the United States' approach to maternal and newborn care through the lens of these factors across multiple disciplines. Birth Settings in America: Outcomes, Quality, Access, and Choice reviews and evaluates maternal and newborn care in the United States, the epidemiology of social and clinical risks in pregnancy and childbirth, birth settings research, and access to and choice of birth settings.

Intended to provide evidence-based recommendations to guide health care professionals in the management of women during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum, and newborns, and the post abortion, including management of endemic deseases like malaria, HIV/AIDS, TB and anaemia. This edition has been updated to include recommendations from recently approved WHO guidelines relevant to maternal and perinatal health. These include pre-eclampsia & eclampsia; postpartum haemorrhage; postnatal care for the mother and baby; newborn resuscitation; prevention of mother-to- child transmission of HIV; HIV and infant feeding; malaria in pregnancy, interventions to improve preterm birth outcomes, tobacco use and second-hand exposure in pregnancy, post-partum depression, post-partum family planning and post abortion care.

The main aim of this practical Handbookis to strengthen counselling and communication skills of skilled attendants (SAs) and other health providers, helping them to effectively discuss with women, families and communities the key issues surrounding pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum, postnatal and post-abortion care. Counselling for Maternal and Newborn Health Careis divided into three main sections. Part 1 is an introduction which describes the aims and objectives and the general layout of the Handbook. Part 2 describes the counselling process and outlines the six key steps to effective counselling. It explores the counselling context and factors that influence this context including the socio-economic, gender, and cultural environment. A series of guiding principles is introduced and specific counselling skills are outlined. Part 3 focuses on different maternal and newborn health topics, including general care in the home during pregnancy; birth and emergency planning; danger signs in pregnancy; post-abortion care; support during labor; postnatal care of the mother and newborn; family planning counselling; breastfeeding; women with HIV/AIDS; death and bereavement; women and violence; linking with the community. Each Session contains specific aims and objectives, clearly outlining the skills that will be developed and corresponding learning outcomes. Practical activities have been designed to encourage reflection, provoke discussions, build skills and ensure the local relevance of information. There is a review at the end of each session to ensure the SAs have understood the key points before they progress to subsequent sessions.

This book helps parents and professionals better understand the issues and the evidence relating to the current induction epidemic. Looks at due dates, 'post-term', older and larger women, suspected big babies, maternal race and more.

The placenta is an organ that connects the developing fetus to the uterine wall, thereby allowing nutrient uptake, waste elimination, and gas exchange via the mother's blood supply. Proper vascular development in the placenta is fundamental to ensuring a healthy fetus and successful pregnancy. This book provides an up-to-date summary and synthesis of knowledge regarding placental vascular biology and discusses the relevance of this vascular bed to the functions of the human placenta.

"How Big is a Placenta Bowl? And Other Weird Questions You'll Ask When Planning a Home Birth" tackles your most outrageous and irreverent home birth questions and delivers practical advice for couples preparing to give birth at home. From cord blood banking and circumcision to newborn immunizations and insurance coverage, "How Big is a Placenta Bowl?" answers all your home birth questions, including: -How messy is home birth? -How much will it cost? -How do I get the gunk out of the birth tub? -How do I choose a midwife? -How can I convince others I'm not crazy? -What should I wear? -Why the heck do I need olive oil? -Should I have my other kids at the birth? One of the only guides to home birth written specifically for a United States audience, the book also includes a special section for husbands and partners on what they need to know, and it contains detailed state-by-state information about midwifery regulations, insurance coverage, and newborn testing procedures. Also included is a birth kit checklist and a sample birth plan for home birthers.