Wisdom of the Midwives: Tricks of the Trade Volume Two

Jan Tritten, editor

[1997, Midwifery Today, 94 pages, perfect bound. See pricing.]

[Review first published in Midwifery Today Issue 46, Summer 1998, © 1998, Midwifery Today, Inc. Review by Angel Rain.]

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There are many books about birth and midwifery, but few contain as much knowledge and are backed with as many years of experience as Wisdom of the Midwives: Tricks of the Trade Volume Two. Broken into ten nicely indexed chapters, this book sums up literally hundreds of years of combined practice from nearly three dozen midwives. Midwives, childbirth educators, pregnant moms, doulas and fathers-to-be will all find plenty of useful information. I frequently made "how clever" kinds of comments while reading this book; it will definitely have you talking aloud to yourself while reading.

The chapter on herbs and homeopathy is especially informative. It includes overviews of herbs, how to prepare them, when to use them and stories of successful treatments with the use of herbs. As well, several articles detail specific homeopathic remedies useful during pregnancy and birth. The information is concise and ready to be put into practice.

Look to the chapter on premature rupture of membranes for a fresh view on the subject, how to detect it, the parameters of safety and the various protocols used effectively by midwives. The chapter on pregnancy contains many gems, including Anne Frye's excellent article "Turning Toxemia Around." Along with five other full length articles, the chapter includes many quick words of wisdom on everything from estimating fetal weight to why women's feet elongate during pregnancy.

No matter how experienced you are, you will find new tricks valuable to you or someone you know within the covers of this book. If you have a question about a common pregnancy or birth concern, chances are good that you will find an answer or suggestion here. From the touching poem "The Essence of Midwifery" to the sidebars full of helpful tips, this is truly a resource to own and refer to often.

Reviewer Angel Rain lives in Eugene, Oregon with her family. She is currently attending midwifery school and teaching childbirth education classes.

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