This is Volume 5 in the ''Midwifery: Best Practice'' series. Each of the volumes in this Series is built around the familiar core of four main topic areas relevant to midwifery: pregnancy, labour/birth, postnatal and stories/reflection - and also includes a number of 'focus on' sections. These are different in each volume and reflect a wide range of key and topical issues within midwifery. Each volume builds upon the others to provide a comprehensive library of articles that shows the development of thought in key midwifery areas. Volume 5 offers a range of wholly new topic areas within the 'focus on' sections covering: 'the birthing environment', 'women, midwives and risk', 'holistic health' and 'working/international stories'.