الفهرس 
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Abstract
The perfect antenatal teacher would be an obstetrician, a midwife, a health visitor, a physiotherapist, a psychologist and the mother of six children all born in different ways in different places. She would be something of an actress, a great enthusiast, have a deep interest in young people and a sense of humor. Such paragons do not exist, doctors are ordinary people who try to make the best use of their professional expertise and their life experiences. They listen to and learn from their patients, the parents, and supplement their knowledge by discussion with colleagues and wide reading.
Teachers discover early in then first series of classes that it is one thing to acquire knowledge for an examination, quite another to pass on that knowledge to a group of people who have different backgrounds and need the information for a different purpose. This work has been written for those who have the required knowledge in one or other aspect of the work, in an attempt to guide them in the use of it in helping parents to understand childbirth and their reactions to it and to encourage them to make up their own minds what is best for their baby and themselves.
Some new doctors may have a mainly clinical background, in which case they need to observe and read more about the hopes, thoughts and fears of pregnant women, other having recent personal experience of childbirth, may need to return to a more objective and professional outlook. Since at present there is no one full training which covers all aspects of antenatal education it is hoped that doctors will read about the aspects with which they are less familiar and may, perhaps, feel more competent to stand in, in the absence of a colleague e.g. dietitian, physiotherapist. etc……
Everyday language has been used throughout the review; more technical information will be found in other parts of the work. Certain subjects which some doctors find difficult to put into words have been treated more fully.