Susan Crowther is Professor of Midwifery at Robert Gordon University, UK.Jenny Hall is Senior Lecturer in Midwifery at Bournemouth University, UK.

• List of figures and tablesNotes on contributorsForewordAcknowledgementsPart I: Setting the context Chapter 1: Introduction Susan Crowther and Jenny HallChapter 2: Childbirth as a sacred celebration Susan CrowtherChapter 3: Ritual and art in a philosophy of birth Anna HennesseyPart II: Spirituality and the childbirth year Chapter 4: Pregnancy and the unborn child Jenny HallChapter 5: Spiritual questions during childbearing Ingela LundgrenChapter 6: Pregnancy loss and complexity Joan Gabrielle LalorChapter 7: Holding sacred space in labour and birth Céline Lemay and Carolyn HastieChapter 8: Couples’ spiritual experiences at birth Jenny ParrattChapter 9: Spiritual obstetrics Alison BarrattChapter 10: Growth and renewal through traumatic birth Gill ThomsonChapter 11: Spirituality when a newborn is unwell Sílvia CaldeiraChapter 12: Parenthood and spirituality José Miguel de Angulo and Luz Stella LosadaPart III: Pulling the threads together Chapter 13: Conclusion: ‘there is something going on at birth!’ Jenny Hall and Susan CrowtherIndex

"One highlight for me is Alison Barrett’s essay which takes apart the language of obstetrics to analyse the paradox of ‘spiritual obstetrics’. Another highlight is the practical and nuanced discussion by Lemay and Hastie on how midwives can hold the sacred space of childbirth. The book concludes that spirituality is a normal and special part of the childbirth experience and asks how can we ensure that this is respected and protected?"-Rea Daellenbach, Lecturer in Midwifery, Ara Institute of Canterbury

Susan Crowther is Professor of Midwifery at Robert Gordon University, UK.Jenny Hall is Senior Lecturer in Midwifery at Bournemouth University, UK.

• List of figures and tablesNotes on contributorsForewordAcknowledgementsPart I: Setting the context Chapter 1: Introduction Susan Crowther and Jenny HallChapter 2: Childbirth as a sacred celebration Susan CrowtherChapter 3: Ritual and art in a philosophy of birth Anna HennesseyPart II: Spirituality and the childbirth year Chapter 4: Pregnancy and the unborn child Jenny HallChapter 5: Spiritual questions during childbearing Ingela LundgrenChapter 6: Pregnancy loss and complexity Joan Gabrielle LalorChapter 7: Holding sacred space in labour and birth Céline Lemay and Carolyn HastieChapter 8: Couples’ spiritual experiences at birth Jenny ParrattChapter 9: Spiritual obstetrics Alison BarrattChapter 10: Growth and renewal through traumatic birth Gill ThomsonChapter 11: Spirituality when a newborn is unwell Sílvia CaldeiraChapter 12: Parenthood and spirituality José Miguel de Angulo and Luz Stella LosadaPart III: Pulling the threads together Chapter 13: Conclusion: ‘there is something going on at birth!’ Jenny Hall and Susan CrowtherIndex

"One highlight for me is Alison Barrett’s essay which takes apart the language of obstetrics to analyse the paradox of ‘spiritual obstetrics’. Another highlight is the practical and nuanced discussion by Lemay and Hastie on how midwives can hold the sacred space of childbirth. The book concludes that spirituality is a normal and special part of the childbirth experience and asks how can we ensure that this is respected and protected?"-Rea Daellenbach, Lecturer in Midwifery, Ara Institute of Canterbury

Susan Crowther is Professor of Midwifery at Robert Gordon University, UK.Jenny Hall is Senior Lecturer in Midwifery at Bournemouth University, UK.

• List of figures and tablesNotes on contributorsForewordAcknowledgementsPart I: Setting the context Chapter 1: Introduction Susan Crowther and Jenny HallChapter 2: Childbirth as a sacred celebration Susan CrowtherChapter 3: Ritual and art in a philosophy of birth Anna HennesseyPart II: Spirituality and the childbirth year Chapter 4: Pregnancy and the unborn child Jenny HallChapter 5: Spiritual questions during childbearing Ingela LundgrenChapter 6: Pregnancy loss and complexity Joan Gabrielle LalorChapter 7: Holding sacred space in labour and birth Céline Lemay and Carolyn HastieChapter 8: Couples’ spiritual experiences at birth Jenny ParrattChapter 9: Spiritual obstetrics Alison BarrattChapter 10: Growth and renewal through traumatic birth Gill ThomsonChapter 11: Spirituality when a newborn is unwell Sílvia CaldeiraChapter 12: Parenthood and spirituality José Miguel de Angulo and Luz Stella LosadaPart III: Pulling the threads together Chapter 13: Conclusion: ‘there is something going on at birth!’ Jenny Hall and Susan CrowtherIndex

"One highlight for me is Alison Barrett’s essay which takes apart the language of obstetrics to analyse the paradox of ‘spiritual obstetrics’. Another highlight is the practical and nuanced discussion by Lemay and Hastie on how midwives can hold the sacred space of childbirth. The book concludes that spirituality is a normal and special part of the childbirth experience and asks how can we ensure that this is respected and protected?"-Rea Daellenbach, Lecturer in Midwifery, Ara Institute of Canterbury