The Roar Behind the Silence: Why kindness, compassion and respect matter in maternity care
This is a truly inspiring book for modern day midwifery. It is easy to read and the relatively short chapters by different authors keep the reader captivated.
The book provides a worldwide view of midwifery services, which is enlightening and fires up passion for change across the world, not just in the UK. Personally, I was shocked by the number of caesarean sections in China and Brazil, realising the effect the actions of the Western world have on other countries.
The book heavily promotes informed choice and informed refusal, both which should be respected by professionals: change needs to happen—women are entitled to the birth they want.
I particularly liked the action points and key messages for each chapter as it enables the reader to focus on what they can contribute to make changes in reality. There were lots of helpful tips to remind practitioners how to improve care, compassion and kindness for women and their families.
Negative birth stories are inspiring for midwives and help to improve practice to make women's experiences better for them. The take away message from this book is: ‘birth should be free from abuse, abandonment and neglect.’ I feel sad as a midwife, woman and mother that this happens at all and it needs to stop.
Overall, I found this a very insightful book. Every professional caring for pregnant women should read it and ROAR!
Confident Birth
I loved this handy little guide, it is a really useful tool for women, partners, midwives and doulas. It is an excellent introduction to the normality of birth and a woman's passage through it.
This book gives the reader a clear guide through the stages of labour, which will serve to support any woman and reduce fear of the unknown.
The book was easy to read and I become absorbed in the hypnobirthing aspects with useful tools not only for the woman but for anyone supporting her, providing skills to get back on track if the power of the mind is disrupted.
Giving women the confidence in their own abilities to birth is sometimes all that is required. Inspirational stories of accomplishment provide the reader with the positivity to start the journey with the confidence to birth.
The exercise for each section enables the reader to be involved and develop skills to prepare for labour. Practical skills such as massage, breathing and relaxation are described in a manner which applies to novices or experts enabling them to support the woman throughout this sensitive journey.
Practically, the size of the book is great to slip in your bag and can easily be re-read in sections as a stress-relieving bible.