Midwifery in the developed world is in a state of ferment and change - a phenomenon referred to as the "new midwifery." Nowhere is this state of change more apparent than in Canada. Reconceiving Midwifery offers state-of-the-art analyses of the new midwifery as it is practiced in this country.

The authors - social scientists and midwifery practitioners - reflect on regional differences in the emerging profession, providing a systematic account of its historical, local, and international roots, its evolving regulatory status, and the degree to which it has been integrated into several mainstream provincial health care systems. They also examine the nature of midwifery training, accessibility, and effectiveness across diverse ethnic and socio-economic groups, highlighting the key issues facing the profession before, during, and in the immediate post-integration era in each province.

Contributors include Cecilia Benoit, Lesley Biggs (University of Saskatchewan), Lynn Bourgeault, Dena Carroll (Aboriginal Health Consultant, Victoria, BC), Robbie Davis-Floyd, Susan James (Laurentian University), Elaine Carty (University Of British Columbia), Pat Kaufert (University of Manitoba), Karyn Kaufman (McMaster University), Jude Kornelsen (University of British Columbia), Maggie MacDonald (York University), Denise Marion (Ottawa Hospital), Sheryl Nestel (OISE, University of Toronto), Kristine Robinson (Midwifery Implementation Council Practice Committee Manitoba), Anne Rochon Ford (Independent Women's Health Research Consultant), Mary Sharpe (Toronto Metropolitan University), Bobbi Soderstrom (Toronto Metropolitan University), Hélène Vadeboncoeur (Université de Montréal), and Vicki Van Wagner (Toronto Metropolitan University).