An international collaboration of lecturers, practitioners and researchers. Each chapter considers a topic relevant to normalising maternity care. Topics include: routine interventions • epidurals • physiological third and fourth stages • longer labours and approaches to monitoring / intervention • most effective models of care • birth centres • home birth • mental health • doulas • reasons for intervention • links between research and practice • harmonising models of birth • caseload midwifery • including "normality" on medical training courses • the symbolic value of birth • developments in China, the UAE, Brazil and other countries where dramatic changes are taking place (e.g. in sub-Saharan Africa) • the "natural" caesarean • individual agents for change • intrapartum best practice • ways of supporting women labouring without pharmacological pain relief • water birth • VBAC • the role of regulatory bodies • ways of publicising your work • communication for best results • review of...