The Modern Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond

I had never heard of Marie Louise or her popularity on Instagram. She is a midwife and is known to her many followers as @the_Modern_Midwife. So when I picked up this book and read the title, ‘The Modern Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond’, I initially thought I was going to be brought up to speed with modern ideas in midwifery. Even though I enjoyed reading this book, as a midwife, I felt it didn't teach me very much more than I already know. It did, however, connect me with a few blogs and websites I hadn't heard of and I have a few more interests via Twitter. I think primarily this book is aimed at first-time mothers. It is jam-packed with easy-to-read information and it's presented in bite-sized chunks that make it ideal to dip in and out of.

The book is split into three sections. The first part covers pregnancy and answers almost all the questions that I've ever been asked as a midwife, including morning sickness, the appointments system, screening, preparing your perineum, informed consent, maternity leave, Braxton Hicks, the midwife role (and the doula), what to pack in your hospital bag and just about everything else. I tried desperately to find topics that weren't covered. I looked up foods to avoid while pregnant (a common antenatal topic) and even though the subject is just touched on, it does signpost you to appropriate websites and encourages you to discuss issues with your midwife.