What is the reality of being a midwife in the twenty-first century? What is it like to help and support women throughout pregnancy and childbirth and into motherhood? What roles can midwives play in society?This new edition of the popular text, Becoming a Midwife, explores what it is to be a midwife, looking at the factors that make midwifery such a special profession, as well as some of the challenges. The fully updated chapters cover a variety of settings and several different stages in a womanOs pregnancy, including stories from midwives working in hospitals and in the community, as managers, supervisors and educators, and as men, women, mothers and birth activists. All chapters are narrated by contributors who introduce their own theme, recount a vignette that throws light on their understandings of midwifery and reasons for becoming (or not becoming) a midwife and any subsequent career moves. Backed up by commentaries and drawing together these insights, the editors show what it means to be a midwife today.Suitable for those contemplating a career in midwifery and providing an opportunity for reflection for more experienced midwives, this thought-provoking book is an invaluable contribution to midwifery.