'I still have the confidence of that whole period. And I think that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Definitely a great sense of triumph really. It's incredible.' Being a midwife today requires not only good clinical skills but also a broad understanding of the social and emotional changes a woman goes through before and after birth. ''The New Midwifery, Second Edition'' looks at combining scientific knowledge with the more intangible skills needed in sensitive communication to provide the best possible care for the mother and her family. 'There was a kind of silence in the relationship, a stillness which was very important. And we'd done all the talking in the build up. So the talking was done. I felt confident that she [the midwife] knew where I was coming from and vice versa. It was like we'd done all our dress rehearsal - what if, what if. And on the day there was nothing left to say really. So it just felt very calm, and I think that was the most important thing.' The second edition of this celebrated text explores vividly the various skills and approaches that lead to successful midwifery practice and uses case stories to bring these to life.Building on a thorough grounding of theory and research evidence, ''The New Midwifery'' will enable all midwives to practise with a more effective range of skills and, as these real-life quotes from mothers bear out, provide unique professional support before, during and after birth. 'I think we had a really good relationship actually. It was more of a friend relationship, but a friend you could trust in - a professional friend you could rely on.'