Pregnancy, childbirth and the newborn: the complete guide.

The Rhetoric ofMidwlfey is well structured. It explains the previous and current controversies surrounding midwifery and birth in a lucid manner, so that those outside the field may easily comprehend the material. The first three chapters cover the midwiferydebate in the U.S., rhetorical analysis within these midwifery debates, and the rhetorical history of midwifery. The following three chapters detail the experience of the Minnesota midwives, their professional jurisdictions, and their licensing rules and regulations. The final chapter recapitulates the issues of gender and power surrounding the direct-entry midwife. Also included in the book are three sets of appendices; Notes; a Bibliography; and an Index, all of which are exceptionally helpful in and of themselves. Lay's explicit coverage of these proceedings shows how each side, the midwives and the traditional medical community, has its own individual authoritative terminology. Clearly, the book is written in support of the Minnesota midwives but, to accurately portray the hearings, Lay includes the language of their opponents. The fact that a reader is able to conceptualize both sides of the argument and then make a judgment is one of the strengths of this book. Although the Minnesota midwives were granted their licensing by the passing of a state law in January2000, the statutes are ambiguous. For example, midwives are able to provide care "for those women who are expected to have a normal pregnancy, labor and delivery," but they are not able to perform emergency episiotomies (186). A wonderful scholarly addition to the field, The Rhetoric ofMidwfe y will also be a valuable resource not only for the field of midwifery, but also for women's studies, the medical field, for historians, sociologists, philosophers, and rhetoricians.