How to use this book

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HealthWiki > A Book for Midwives > Introductory Material > How to use this book

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In this chapter:

 

In this chapter:

Finding information

To find information, use the Contents.

The Contents at the beginning of this book list the name of each chapter in the order in which it appears. Contents of each chapter are also listed at the beginning of that chapter.

Warnings, medicines, and notes

Warnings, medicines, and notes are separate from the main text.

Warning notes show very important information. When you see this kind of note, you must take action to avoid danger.

WARNING! Do not insert an IUD for a woman who has signs of infection. The infection can spread to the womb.

Medicine boxes show how to give medicines. Read these boxes very carefully, and always look in the Medicines Pages before giving a medicine.

These pictures show how the medicines in the box are given — in this case as tablets.

To lower a fever
give 500 to 1000 mg paracetamol			by mouth, every 4 to 6 hours as needed (do not take more than 4000 mg in a day).

Notes show information that is useful, but not directly connected with the information around it.

Note: Clean hands do not stay clean for long. If you touch anything other than the mother’s genitals, you must wash again.

Understanding pictures of the body

How we show the outside of the body

When we draw a person, we try to draw her whole body. If we do not have enough room, we only show part of her body.

This picture shows a mother pushing her baby out of her vagina.

If it is important to see the baby’s head and the vagina more clearly, we will show only that part of the body, so we can make the picture bigger.

the womb, inside the mother’s body

the baby, inside the womb

How we show the inside of the body

Sometimes we need to show what is happening inside
a woman’s body. So we include pictures that show what a woman’s body would look like if you could see inside of her.

Usually, we use thick lines to show the outside of a woman’s body, and thin lines or dotted lines to show what is happening on the inside.

A note on language

Medical and technical words Throughout this book, we try to use easily understood words for parts of the body and things that the body does. We also explain the medical words we use. If there is a medical or technical word you do not understand, you can look it up in the index and see if it is explained in the book. Or you can look in the glossary, which lists some medical and technical words that are useful to know.

He and she When talking about babies, we did not want to say “he or she” each time because it can be awkward. So sometimes we say “she,” and sometimes we say “he”.

Getting help

The information in this book is not always enough to help you solve a health problem. When this happens, get help! Depending on the problem, you should:
Get medical advice. A skilled health worker or doctor should be able to help you decide what to do. This is not usually an emergency.
Get medical help. The woman or her baby need to see a skilled health worker or doctor for tests or treatment as soon as possible.
Go to a medical center or hospital. There is an emergency. Take the woman or her baby to a hospital right away for surgery or other immediate help.

This page was updated:15 Jul 2024