Birth Emergency Skills Training®Essentials of Safe Practice for Community Midwives
Second Edition Since its release in 2008, Birth Emergency Skills Training® (BEST) has helped thousands of midwives develop the knowledge and confidence to recognize and manage obstetrical emergencies. Fully revised and expanded, the second edition offers updated clinical guidance, broader coverage, new mnemonics, and additional illustrations designed for community birth practice. 598 pages | 27 mnemonics | 221 figures | 71 tables |
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Choose your format
Available as paperback, PDF download, USB edition, or bundle.
Birth Emergency Skills Training: Essentials of Safe Practice for Community Midwives (paperback)
$78.00
$68.00
B&W paperback book, 598 pages
Since its release in 2008, Birth Emergency Skills Training (BEST) has equipped thousands of midwives with the knowledge and confidence to manage obstetrical emergencies.
Building on the trusted first edition, Birth Emergency Skills Training: Essentials of Safe Practice for Community Midwives delivers updated clinical guidance and practical strategies for recognizing and managing complications in community birth settings. Grounded in core competencies, it promotes evidence-based care for antepartum bleeding, postpartum hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, abdominal pain, respiratory distress, undiagnosed twins, trauma, neonatal resuscitation, malpresentations, and more.
Expanded and fully revised, this edition offers broader clinical coverage, new mnemonics, updated graphics, and additional photographs and illustrations. The text guides the reader from the first steps of intervention through definitive care, bridging anticipation and action, midwifery and medicine.
Award-winning and richly illustrated, Birth Emergency Skills Training® remains an essential resource for midwives, students, nurses, and other birth professionals. Visit https://www.birthemergencyworkshops.com to explore available workshops and learning opportunities.
Book Details
598 pages of accessible, clinically focused text
27 original mnemonic tools for rapid recall
221 instructional figures, including drawings and photographs
71 practical reference tables
B&W Paperback • 598 pp. • English • ISBN • 978-1-941700-45-7
7 x 10 x 1.35 in. / 178 x 257 x 34 cm • US $78.00
Birth Emergency Skills Training: Essentials of Safe Practice for Community Midwives (ebook download)
$38.00
$32.00
FULL COLOR digital edition 598-page PDF Download
Since its release in 2008, Birth Emergency Skills Training (BEST) has equipped thousands of midwives with the knowledge and confidence to manage obstetrical emergencies.
Building on the trusted first edition, Birth Emergency Skills Training: Essentials of Safe Practice for Community Midwives delivers updated clinical guidance and practical strategies for recognizing and managing complications in community birth settings. Grounded in core competencies, it promotes evidence-based care for antepartum bleeding, postpartum hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, abdominal pain, respiratory distress, undiagnosed twins, trauma, neonatal resuscitation, malpresentations, and more.
Expanded and fully revised, this edition offers broader clinical coverage, new mnemonics, updated graphics, and additional photographs and illustrations. The text guides the reader from the first steps of intervention through definitive care, bridging anticipation and action, midwifery and medicine.
Award-winning and richly illustrated, Birth Emergency Skills Training® remains an essential resource for midwives, students, nurses, and other birth professionals. Visit https://www.birthemergencyworkshops.com to explore available workshops and learning opportunities.
Book Details
598 pages of accessible, clinically focused text
27 original mnemonic tools for rapid recall
221 instructional figures, including drawings and photographs
71 practical reference tables
Digital Download •PDF • English • 978-1-941700-48-8 PDF • US $38.00
Birth Emergency Skills Training: Essentials of Safe Practice for Community Midwives (ebook on USB drive)
$40.00
$34.00
E-book on a USB flash drive with Bonus Content
We will mail to you a credit-card sized 15 GB USB drive preloaded with the PDF version of Birth Emergency Skills Training and bonus content including
- 12 printable birth footprint sheet designs
- printable birth log
- Free ebook "the Placenta Diaries"
- Free poster "Midwives: Making Birth Safer"
- About 14GB of storage for personal files
Since its release in 2008, Birth Emergency Skills Training (BEST) has equipped thousands of midwives with the knowledge and confidence to manage obstetrical emergencies.
Building on the trusted first edition, Birth Emergency Skills Training: Essentials of Safe Practice for Community Midwives delivers updated clinical guidance and practical strategies for recognizing and managing complications in community birth settings. Grounded in core competencies, it promotes evidence-based care for antepartum bleeding, postpartum hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, abdominal pain, respiratory distress, undiagnosed twins, trauma, neonatal resuscitation, malpresentations, and more.
Expanded and fully revised, this edition offers broader clinical coverage, new mnemonics, updated graphics, and additional photographs and illustrations. The text guides the reader from the first steps of intervention through definitive care, bridging anticipation and action, midwifery and medicine.
Award-winning and richly illustrated, Birth Emergency Skills Training® remains an essential resource for midwives, students, nurses, and other birth professionals. Visit https://www.birthemergencyworkshops.com to explore available workshops and learning opportunities.
Book Details
- 598 pages of accessible, clinically focused text
- 27 original mnemonic tools for rapid recall
- 221 instructional figures, including drawings and photographs
- 71 practical reference tables
The credit-card–sized USB drive includes 15 GB of storage. The BEST book and bonus materials use less than 1 GB, leaving ample space for you to save your own files, clinical notes, protocols, or training materials. The slim card design fits easily in a wallet, allowing you to carry important reference documents wherever you work.
Full-color PDF ebook on credit-card-sized flash drive with bonus content.
Note: This USB drive was designed for the BEST 10th anniversary celebration in 2018, but the ebook it contains was published in February 2026.
English • 978-1-941700-48-8 PDF • US $40.00
Birth Emergency Skills Training: 2nd ed Paperback and USB ebook bundle
$95.00
B&W Paperback + color ebook USB Bundle
Paperback Reference Manual and PDF Edition with Bonus Resources
This bundle combines the convenience of a printed reference book with the portability of a digital edition. You’ll receive the black-and-white paperback edition of Birth Emergency Skills Training® along with a credit-card–sized USB flash drive preloaded with the full-color PDF version of the book and additional downloadable resources.
Since its release in 2008, Birth Emergency Skills Training® (BEST) has helped thousands of midwives, nurses, and birth professionals recognize and manage obstetrical emergencies with confidence. Used internationally in workshops and training programs, BEST strengthens the skills needed to respond quickly when complications arise during pregnancy, labor, birth, and the immediate postpartum period.
The printed manual provides a durable, easy-to-reference clinical guide, while the USB edition allows you to carry the full-color book and supplemental materials wherever you go—on a computer, tablet, or mobile device.
Grounded in core competencies and evidence-based practice, BEST covers essential emergency topics including postpartum hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, antepartum bleeding, abdominal pain, respiratory distress, trauma, malpresentations, neonatal resuscitation, undiagnosed twins, and more.
Expanded and fully revised, the book includes clear explanations, practical mnemonics, detailed illustrations, and step-by-step guidance designed to help clinicians move from recognition to decisive action.
What You Receive
• Black-and-white paperback edition of Birth Emergency Skills Training®
• Credit-card sized USB flash drive containing the full-color PDF edition
• Durable protective USB case
The USB drive is preloaded and ready to use—simply plug it into your computer to access the book and bonus materials.
Bonus Materials on the USB Drive
• 12 printable birth footprint sheet designs
• Printable birth log
• Free ebook: The Placenta Diaries
• Printable poster: “Midwives: Making Birth Safer”
The credit-card–sized USB drive includes 15 GB of storage. The BEST book and bonus materials use less than 1 GB, leaving ample space for you to save your own files, clinical notes, protocols, or training materials. The slim card design fits easily in a wallet, allowing you to carry important reference documents wherever you work.
Book Details
598 pages of clinical text
27 original mnemonics
221 figures (drawings and photographs)
71 tables
Award-winning and richly illustrated, Birth Emergency Skills Training® remains an essential resource for midwives, students, nurses, and other birth professionals committed to safe birth practices in community settings.
Paperback • 598 pp. • English • ISBN • 978-1-941700-45-7 7 x 10 x 1.35 in. / 178 x 257 x 34 cm • US $78.00
PDF • English • 978-1-941700-48-8 PDF • US $38.00
About the Book
Since its release in 2008, Birth Emergency Skills Training® (BEST) has helped thousands of midwives develop the skills needed to recognize and manage obstetrical emergencies.
The fully revised second edition provides practical guidance for community birth settings, covering postpartum hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, antepartum bleeding, abdominal pain, respiratory distress, malpresentations, neonatal resuscitation, trauma, and other urgent situations.
Expanded and updated, the book includes broader clinical coverage, new mnemonics, revised graphics, additional illustrations, and case-based learning tools designed to support rapid recognition and response when complications arise.
Since its release in 2008, Birth Emergency Skills Training® (BEST) has helped thousands of midwives develop the skills needed to recognize and manage obstetrical emergencies.
The fully revised second edition provides practical guidance for community birth settings, covering postpartum hemorrhage, hypertensive disorders, antepartum bleeding, abdominal pain, respiratory distress, malpresentations, neonatal resuscitation, trauma, and other urgent situations.
Expanded and updated, the book includes broader clinical coverage, new mnemonics, revised graphics, additional illustrations, and case-based learning tools designed to support rapid recognition and response when complications arise.
Who This Book Is For
Midwives, student midwives, nurses, physicians, and other birth professionals who want practical guidance for recognizing and managing obstetrical emergencies in community birth settings.
Midwives, student midwives, nurses, physicians, and other birth professionals who want practical guidance for recognizing and managing obstetrical emergencies in community birth settings.
Already own Birth Emergencies for Community Midwives?
Birth Emergency Skills Training® and Birth Emergencies for Community Midwives cover many of the same clinical topics, and some material overlaps. However, they are designed for different purposes. Birth Emergencies for Community Midwives is a comprehensive reference text, while BEST is a skills-focused training manual developed from the BEST workshop curriculum. This edition includes new case studies, discussion questions, updated references, revised graphics, and expanded teaching tools designed to strengthen rapid recognition and response during emergencies.
Birth Emergency Skills Training® and Birth Emergencies for Community Midwives cover many of the same clinical topics, and some material overlaps. However, they are designed for different purposes. Birth Emergencies for Community Midwives is a comprehensive reference text, while BEST is a skills-focused training manual developed from the BEST workshop curriculum. This edition includes new case studies, discussion questions, updated references, revised graphics, and expanded teaching tools designed to strengthen rapid recognition and response during emergencies.
This book is more than just a training manual. It is a resource that empowers midwives to act swiſtly and skillfully in moments when it matters most. It fills an essential gap in midwifery educational tools and does so with heart, precision, and practical wisdom.
—Tonia L. Moore-Davis, MSN, CNM, FACNM
Preview the book
Browse sample pages, illustrations, and press materials from the second edition.
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Press release
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Transfer Considerations
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Shoulder Dystocia
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Workshop Disclaimer
Synclitic Media, LLC has licensed Andrea Dixon, Family Way Educational Services, Avril Bowens, and The Midwife Method to use material from Birth Emergencies for Community Midwives and Birth Emergency Skills Training® in workshops and online training offered under the name “Birth Emergency Skills Training.” These workshops and courses are independently developed and taught by the licensed instructors. Bonnie U. Gruenberg and Synclitic Media, LLC have not reviewed and are not involved in the development or delivery of these programs and do not assume responsibility for the training, materials, recommendations, or procedures presented. Bonnie U. Gruenberg and Synclitic Media, LLC are likewise not responsible for any training programs or materials developed by other third parties based on these books.
Synclitic Media, LLC has licensed Andrea Dixon, Family Way Educational Services, Avril Bowens, and The Midwife Method to use material from Birth Emergencies for Community Midwives and Birth Emergency Skills Training® in workshops and online training offered under the name “Birth Emergency Skills Training.” These workshops and courses are independently developed and taught by the licensed instructors. Bonnie U. Gruenberg and Synclitic Media, LLC have not reviewed and are not involved in the development or delivery of these programs and do not assume responsibility for the training, materials, recommendations, or procedures presented. Bonnie U. Gruenberg and Synclitic Media, LLC are likewise not responsible for any training programs or materials developed by other third parties based on these books.
