The maternity care of Muslim women

There are approximately 1.7 million Muslims in the UK. Followers of Islam observe certain religious and cultural practices during pregnancy and childbirth which midwives need to know and understand. Husband or children should not be used as interpreters as it is culturally unacceptable for many Muslim women to talk about intimate matters in front of their families. Midwives should not make assumptions when offering pain relief - in Islam pain is accepted as a natural part of childbirth. There may be some misconceptions about breastfeeding (for example, that colostrum is 'unclean'), and Muslim mothers - like all new mothers - need education and support.