Heart and Hands, Fifth Edition [2019]: A Midwife's Guide to Pregnancy and Birth

**update 12/2022**The publisher has now updated the edition with Amazon. If you’ve purchased and gotten the incorrect edition, just chat with customer service and they can push through the updated edition :)**update 7/2022**I reached out directly to the author to see if she could get the publisher to update the edition connected to this listing and they are working on it! It should be updated sometime in September 2022 and the updated edition should be available to those who have already purchased the kindle edition :)Really enjoyed reading this book but do be aware the kindle version is the 2012 copyright rather than 2019. The cover of the book is correct but the copyright on it is the old version. I also was told to return and repurchase but I still received the older copy. Probably fine if you’re just reading through it but I did a whole semesters homework with the wrong book and I’m pretty frustrated.

We use this book quite a bit in our midwifery school, and it is probably one of our students' favorite books. It has always been a great book, easy to read with good stories and good information. However, it would have been far less confusing to all if this had been titled a 6th edition rather than a revised 5th. Because both the old and new versions are "5th editions" Amazon can't seem to download the new Kindle version. It wouldn't even let my buy the new one because it said I had already purchased it. So I grudgingly deleted my old version from my order/devices, then ordered the 2019 version, but the 2012 version still downloaded. Amazon had me re-order and download, but I still received the 2012 version, so I had to cancel my order again. Now I don't have either version on any of my Kindle devices! This was incredibly frustrating!

I have learned so much from this book. It is easy to understand.

What's not to love about Elizabeth Davis? This book is incredibly informative for birth professionals! It has very detailed information about "normal" birth as well as many different complications that can occur prenatally, during birth or during the postpartum period. It explains which mothers would be good candidates to work with midwives, as well as information about when certain mothers would not be good candidates for home or out-of-hospital births. I recommend this book for midwives, midwifery students, doulas, as well as students who are trying to figure out if midwifery is their calling or not. It is not as feel-good and entertaining as Ina May's books as it lack the birth stories, but it is not as big of an investment (monetary, time and emotionally) as some of the classic textbooks, such as Varney's Midwifery or Anne Frye's Holistic Midwifery texts. I would not recommend this book for the average expecting mother, as it is aimed towards birth workers and may cause more worries about complications than comfort for expecting moms.

At first glance, this book seems like a wonderful addition to anyone's lending library. However, there is one glaring discrepancy between this book and others that go into far more detail. Elizabeth Davis states in the nutrition section that 'Adequate intake of calories is crucial for accelerated metabolic functions; pregnant women need at least 3,000 calories daily, and nursing mothers, 4,000 per day'.This is vastly different than what is suggested in Varney's Midwifery: "It is important that women understand that the adage, "eating for two," is not true. Pregnancy requires only an extra 350 to 450 calories per day during the second and third trimesters - far from "eating for two.".Jordan Prenatal and Postnatal Care: "During the first trimester, there is no increased energy cost associated with a singleton pregnancy in a woman who is of normal weight or higher. ...Generally speaking, women need to increase caloric intake by 340 kcal/day during the second trimester and 450 kcal/day during the third trimester for a singleton pregnancy."Even for a woman beginning her pregnancy as underweight, these values are beyond inaccurate and Davis makes no effort to individualize these values. This information is highly inappropriate given that Davis' values can set a woman up for complications such as gestational diabetes.While there is certainly some useful information (the illustrations are wonderful), her misinformation on a simple factor like caloric intake unfortunately casts doubt on her entire book and after seeing this discrepancy, I have hesitations about referencing her book in any way.

Originally I wanted to try out a home birth. One of our midwives recommended purchasing this book. I was 25 & having my first baby. My partner had cold feet & we decided to give birth at a hospital instead. I didnt finish reading the whole book but it did help me make smart decisions on the spot when complications arised. And it also taught me how to check myself as i dialated.

Love this book. Very informative. I have home births so loved learning about what a midwife needs to know.

This book is wonderful, addressing all aspects of the conception and birth of a child. It not only has pictures (for those of us who are visual learners), but it contains detailed written instructions of the whole process. I do believe that it would have been a life saver if I had to solely attend the birth of my grandson. Providentially, a midwife was available at the last minute! I would highly recommend this book be read not only by prospective parents before the birth, but also that close relatives/friends read it as well. You never know when you might be called to help in this miraculous process of bringing forth a new life.

Excellent title and arrived the day after ordering.

realy good book concise and clear information clear pictures but wish there were more of them. a must have on every midwife's shelf.

Awsome service quick and timely.bthank you fo clearly stating the use of text book/ book I got exactly what you described.ThanksConnie Wakaluk

Une approche très complète et réfléchie en ce qui concerne la surveillance de la grossesse en passant par l'accouchement et ses complications éventuelles, le post-partum et le métier de sage-femme en général.Dans une langue simple mais soignée Elizabeth Davis nous offre un livre d'information (beaucoup d'explications sur les conduites à tenir, la physiologie et la physiopathologie de la grossesse et de l'accouchement...) mais aussi de réflexion sur l'art de la sage-femme.Elle remet parfois en question certains protocoles bien ancrés dans notre pratiques (ex: le dépistage du strepto b), ce qui peut sembler déroutant à première vue mais ô combien enrichissant si l'on prend la peine d'être ouvert à cette vision autre.Je recommande donc ce livre à toutes les étudiantes sage-femme et les sages-femmes en exercice ainsi qu'à tous ceux qui s'intéressent de près ou de loin au domaine de la grossesse et de l'accouchement. Les parents pourront peut-être trouver les infos trop denses et complexes mais les (futurs) pro de la périnatalité découvriront dans cet ouvrage matière à un enrichissement de leurs connaissances. Une ouverture d'esprit sur certaines pratiques est par contre exigée...