Spirituality and midwifery

Abstract

Pregnancy and birth is viewed by women and midwives as a transformative, life-changing event. It could therefore be considered surprising that there remains limited research around the spiritual aspects of having a baby. The focus of this chapter is to address how spirituality is understood within a holistic paradigm, considering the current focus on the need for greater dignity and compassion within health care. The limited research evidence that is available will be discussed and this will be applied to current practice in the UK and internationally. Further discussion will consider how spirituality is explored in order to educate future midwives. The chapter will include reference to the spirituality of the mother/baby dyad and the relevance of the awareness of the spirituality of the unborn. The need for more research and debate of spirituality within midwifery will be addressed.