Skip to main content

Communication in Midwifery

  • Chapter
Midwifery Practice

Part of the book series: Midwifery Practice

Abstract

When a midwife and a woman are together there is always communication, though the midwife will not always be seeking to give information. The midwife may communicate her busyness, her attention may be primarily focused on the monitor, the computer or the notes. The woman may receive a clear message of, ‘I am concentrating, do not disturb’, and act accordingly though the midwife is not aware that she is communicating.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Arnold M 1987 The cycle of maternal deprivation. Midwife, Health Visitor and Community Nurse 23 (23): 12–539

    Google Scholar 

  • Ball J A 1987 Reactions to motherhood: The roll of postnatal care. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Ball J A 1989 Postnatal care and adjustment to motherhood. In Robinson S, and Thomson AM (eds) Midwives, research and childbirth, Vol 1. Chapman and Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Bond M 1991 Assertiveness for midwives. Distance Learning Centre, South Bank Polytechnic, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Boore J R P 1978 Prescription for recovery. RCN, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Brooks F 1990 Alternative to the medical model of childbirth: a qualitative study of user-centred maternity care. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Sheffield

    Google Scholar 

  • Cartwright A 1964 Human relations and hospital care. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Cartwright A 1979 The dignity of labour: a study of childbirth and induction. Tavistock Publications, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Cartwright A 1987 Who are maternity services kind to? What is ‘kindness’? Midwife, Health Visitor and Community Nurse 23 (23): 1–21

    Google Scholar 

  • Crawford D 1992 Putting parents in the picture. Nursing Times 88 (88): 2–41

    Google Scholar 

  • Crute V C, Hargie O D W, Ellis R A F 1989 An evaluation of a communication skills course for health visitor students. Journal of Advanced Nursing 14: 546–52

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Currell R 1990 The organisation of midwifery care. In Alexander J, Levy V, Roch S (eds) Antenatal care: a research-based approach (Midwifery Practice, Vol 1). Macmillan, Basingstoke

    Google Scholar 

  • Eastcott D, Farmer B 1989 Communication skills for midwifery and other health care professions: learning materials. West Midlands Health Authority and Birmingham Polytechnic Learning Methods Unit, Birmingham

    Google Scholar 

  • Elbourne D, Richardson M, Chalmers I, Waterhouse I, Holt E 1987 The Newbury Maternity Care Study: a randomised controlled trial to evaluate a policy of women holding their own maternity records. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 94: 612–19

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Evans F B 1987 The Newcastle Community Midwifery Care Project: an evaluation report. Newcastle Health Authority Community Health Unit, Newcastle

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans F B 1991 The Newcastle Community Midwifery Care Project: The evaluation of the project. In Robinson S, Thomson A M Midwives, research and childbirth, Vol 2. Chapman and Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Flint C 1991 Continuity of care provided by a team of midwives — the Know Your Midwife Scheme. In Robinson S, Thomson A M Midwives, research and childbirth, Vol 2. Chapman and Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Flint C, Poulengeris P 1987 The ‘Know your midwife’ report. Privately printed; available from 49 Peckarmans Wood, Sydenham Hill, London SE26 6RZ

    Google Scholar 

  • Friend B 1991 Cutting the risks. Nursing Times 87 (87): 17–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Friend B 1992 Record recovery. Nursing Times 88 (88): 2–34

    Google Scholar 

  • Garforth S, Garcia J1987 Admitting — a weakness or a strength? Routine admission of a woman in labour. Midwifery 3 (3): 1–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Gask L, Goldberg D, Lesser A L, Millar T 1988 Improving the psychiatric skills of the general practice trainee: an evaluation of a group training course. Medical Education 22: 132–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gask L, McGrath G, Goldberg D, Millar T 1987 Improving the psychiatric skills of established general practitioners: evaluation of group teaching. Medical Education 21: 362–8

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Goffman E 1959 The presentation of self in everyday life. Penguin, Harmondsworth

    Google Scholar 

  • Goffman E 1961 Asylums: Essays on the social situation of mental patients and other inmates. Penguin, Harmondsworth

    Google Scholar 

  • Graham H 1977 Images of pregnancy in ante-natal literature. In Dingwall R, Heath C, Reid M, Stacey M Health care and health knowledge. Croom Helm, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Green J M, Coupland V A, Kitzinger JV 1988 Great expectations: a prospective study of women’s expectations and experiences of childbirth. Child Care and Development Group, University of Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins P, Shohet R 1989 Supervision and the helping professions. Open University Press, Milton Keynes

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayes L 1991 Communication in the maternity services. Maternity Action 50, (July/August): 6–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Hays J, Larson K H 1963 Interacting with patients. Macmillan Inc, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayward J 1975 Information — A prescription against pain, RCN, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt S 1989 The labour ward — A midwife’s castle? Research and the Midwife Conference Proceedings (Available from the University of Manchester, Department of Nursing Studies)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackson C 1991 Power to the parent. Health Visitor 64 (64): 10–340

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacoby A 1988 Mothers’ views about information and advice in pregnancy and childbirth: Findings from a national study. Midwifery 4: 103–110

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Janis I L 1968 When fear is healthy. Psychology Today 1: 46–9; 60–61

    Google Scholar 

  • Jones M L 1991 The no-fault compensation debate. Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, Proceedings of the Spring Meeting May 1

    Google Scholar 

  • Kent P 1991 Letter to the Editor. Health Service Journal 101 (5244): 10

    Google Scholar 

  • Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster (South) Community Health Council 1980 Maybe I didn’t ask: A report on the experience of women having their babies in Westminster Hospital. Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster CHC, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirke P N 1980 Mothers’ views of obstetric care. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 87: 1029–33

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kirkham M J 1983 Labouring in the dark: Limitations on the giving of information to enable patients to orientate themselves to the likely events and timescale of labour. In Wilson-Barnett J (ed) Nursing research: Ten studies in patient care. John Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkham M J 1987 Basic supportive care in labour: Interaction with and around labouring women. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Manchester

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirkham M J 1989 Midwives and information-giving during labour. In Robinson S, Thomson A M (eds) Midwives, research and childbirth, Vol 1. Chapman and Hall, London

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Kitzinger S. 1978 Pain in childbirth. Journal of Medical Ethics 4 (Jan): 119–21

    Article  PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Lovell A, Zander L I, James C E, Foot S, Swan A V, Reynolds A 1987 The St Thomas’s Maternity Case Notes Study: A randomised controlled trial to assess the effects of giving expectant mothers their own maternity case notes. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology 1: 57–66

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McGregor Vennell 1989 Medical misfortune in a no fault society. In Mann R D, Havard J (eds) No fault compensation in medicine. Joint Meeting of the Royal Society of Medicine and the British Medical Association, RSM, London

    Google Scholar 

  • McIntosh J 1988 Women’s views of communication during labour and delivery. Midwifery 4: 166–70

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McIntosh J 1989 Models of childbirth and social class: a study of 80 working class primigravidae. In Robinson S, Thomson A M Midwives, research and childbirth, Vol 1. Chapman and Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  • McKay S, Roberts J1990 Obstetrics by ear: maternal and caregiver perceptions of the meaning of maternal sounds during second stage labor. Journal o: Nurse—Midwifery 35 (35): 5–266

    Google Scholar 

  • Macintyre S 1982 Communications between pregnant women and their medical and midwifery attendants. Midwives Chronicle 95 (95): 1138–387

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin C 1990 How do you count maternal satisfaction? A user-commissioned survey of maternity services. In Roberts H (ed) Women’s health counts. Routledge, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Methven R 1989 Recording an obstetric history or relating to a pregnant woman? A study of the antenatal booking interview. In Robinson S, Thomson A M (eds) Midwives, research and childbirth, Vol 1. Chapman and Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy-Black T, Faulkner A 1990 Antenatal education. In Murphy-Black T, Faulkner A (eds) Excellence in nursing, the research route: Midwifery. Scutari Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson-Jones R 1986 Human relationship skills: training and self-help. Cassell, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Oakley A 1980 Women confined: towards a sociology of childbirth. Martin Robertson, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Brien M, Smith C 1981 Women’s views and experiences of antenatal care. Practitioner 25: 123–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Perkins E R 1978 Having a baby: an educational experience? Leverhulme Health Education Project Occasional Paper No 6, University of Nottingham

    Google Scholar 

  • Perkins E R1991 What do women want? Asking consumers’ views. Mabel Liddiard Memorial Lecture. Midwives Chronicle 104 (104): 1247–347

    Google Scholar 

  • Pitt B 1968 Atypical depression following childbirth. British Journal of Psychiatry 114: 1325–35

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Porter M, Macintyre S 1989 Psychosocial effectiveness of antenatal and postnatal care. In Robinson S, Thomson AM (eds) Midwives, research and childbirth, Vol 1. Chapman and Hall, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Pratt L, Seligman A, Reader G 1957 Physicians’ views of the level of medical information among patients. American Journal of Public Health 47:, 1277–83

    Article  PubMed  CAS  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rautava P, Erkkola R, Sillanpaa M1990 The Finnish family competence study: new directions are necessary in antenatal education. Health Education Research 5 (5): 3–353

    Google Scholar 

  • Read M, Garcia J 1989 Women’s views of care during pregnancy and childbirth. In Enkin M W, Keirse M J N C, Chalmers I (eds) Effective care in pregnancy and childbirth: 131–42. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Riley E M D 1977 What do women want? The question of choice in the conduct of labour. In Chard T, Richards M (eds) Benefits and hazards of the new obstetrics. Heinemann/Spastics International Medical Publications, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Scammell B 1990 Communication skills. Macmillan, Basingstoke, London

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Seligman M E P 1975 Helplessness: On depression, development and death. Friedman, San Francisco

    Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro M C, Najman J M, Chang A, Keeping J D, Morrison J, Western J S1983 Information control and the exercise of power in the obstetrical encounter. Social Science and Medicine 17 (17): 3–139

    Google Scholar 

  • Sorel N C 1984 Ever since Eve: Personal reflections on childbirth. Michael Joseph, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Spender D 1980 Man made language. Routledge and Kegan Paul, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Stein L 1967 The doctor-nurse game. Archives of General Psychiatry 16: 6698–703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stein L, Watts D, Howell T1990 The doctor-nurse game revisited. New England Journal of Medicine 332 (332): 8–546

    Google Scholar 

  • Tannen D 1991 You just don’t understand: Women and men in conversation. Virago, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Tarasuk M B, Rhymes J A, Leonard R C 1965 An experimental test of the importance of communication skills for effective nursing. In Skipper J K, Leonard RC (eds) Social interaction and patient care. J B Lippincott, Philadelphia

    Google Scholar 

  • Teasdale K 1989 The concept of reassurance in nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing 14: 444–50

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tudor Hart J 1971 The Inverse Care Law. The Lancet VI: 405

    Article  Google Scholar 

Suggested further reading

  • Eastcott D, Farmer B 1989 Communication skills for midwifery and other healthcare professions: Learning materials. West Midlands Health Authority and Birmingham Polytechnic Learning Methods Unit, Birmingham

    Google Scholar 

  • Henley N M 1977 Body politics: Power, sex and nonverbal communication. Touchstone, Simon and Schuster, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Read M, Garcia J 1989 Women’s views of care during pregnancy and childbirth. In Enkin M W, Keirse M J N C, Chalmers I (eds) Effective care in pregnancy and childbirth: 131–42. Oxford University Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Tannen D 1991 You just don’t understand: Women and men in conversation. Virago, London

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors

Editor information

Jo Alexander Valerie Levy Sarah Roch

Copyright information

© 1993 Mavis Kirkham

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Kirkham, M. (1993). Communication in Midwifery. In: Alexander, J., Levy, V., Roch, S. (eds) Midwifery Practice. Midwifery Practice. Palgrave, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-12936-2_1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-12936-2_1

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-333-57617-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-349-12936-2

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics