Fear, risk and safety in maternity care

This chapter focuses on why risk is such an important concept in maternity care. It begins by presenting some of the key theoretical approaches and how these are related to midwifery, and it makes clear that understanding and managing risk and fear are not simple matters. However, the concerns related to risk need not always engender fear and anxiety. The chapter then looks at the role that fear plays in maternity care and it finishes with a framework that the midwife can use to support safe, effective and life-affirming care within this risk environment. The framework acknowledges the complex and often paradoxical nature of midwifery practice and provides a way for the midwife to put the management of risk into practice and perspective.