March 31, 2026

Early Labour and Maternity Care: Research for Practice

The Early Labour and Maternity Care: Research for Practice book, edited by Dr. Vanora Hundley and Helen Cheyne, was published on March 17, 2026. Several cluster members contributed chapters, including Dr. Hundley, Dr. Ellen Tilden, Dr. Mechthild Gross, Dr. Katherine Kissler, Dr. Patricia Janssen, Dr. Dominique Mylod, and Dr. Susanne Grylka.

Early labour remains a contested and underexamined area in maternity care. Existing services frequently place the responsibility on women to self-assess when to present for care, often resulting in repeated assessment visits and discharges — a cycle that contributes to anxiety, uncertainty, and friction in the relationship between women and their caregivers. Drawing on an international body of research, this volume examines how early labour is defined, how maternity services currently respond, and where evidence-based improvements to assessment and care could be made.

The book incorporates women's accounts of early labour across varied models of care alongside practice-oriented recommendations, making it a relevant resource for midwifery students and health professionals working in maternity settings.

Explore the book here: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781003507192/early-labour-maternity-care-vanora-hundley-helen-cheyne 

  • Announcement

Advancing the Science of Physiologic Birth Research Cluster


E-mail contact@scienceofbirth.ca

Research Excellence Clusters at UBC Vancouver is a joint initiative of the Provost and Vice-President, Academic, UBC Vancouver and the Vice-President, Research and Innovation. Funding support for the clusters is provided by Academic Excellence Funds – UBC Vancouver.

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