Birth Days: A Nurse-Midwife's Account

Andrea Levan is an assistant professor and co-ordinator of the Women’s
Studies Program, Thorneloe College, Laurentian University.

Wirvin’s book is an absorbing collection of anecdotes from her many
years as a nurse-midwife in Scotland and Canada. The stories run the
gamut from funny to poignant, pragmatic to terrifying, and offer a
revealing view of the midwife’s profession. Wirvin uses the stories to
explain various conditions that may arise during the birth process and
the procedures that are commonly used in these cases. All in all, the
book is informative and useful for anyone who wants to know more about
birth.

Although for the most part the book is apolitical, Wirvin is firmly on
the side of those who would place midwifery within the present medical
system. For example, she advocates for hospital births in all
circumstances, offers little criticism of doctors, and gives only
positive examples of technologies such as epidurals and fetal
monitoring, which other midwives have found problematic. As an account
of the varied and profoundly human experiences lived through by
midwives, the book is fascinating, but those who expect current
debates—such as those regarding the legalization of the profession or
the patriarchal structure of the medical system—to be engaged will be
disappointed.