The Midwife’s Coracle Barker, S., Todres, L., Biley., This was a study of community midwives' experiences of giving emotional support to women becoming mothers using the descriptive phenomenological approach developed by Giorgi (1979). A complex phenomenon was established where midwives’ offered an intimate caring relationship to the women. This created emotion work for them but they were supported by other professionals and the woman’s family. The metaphor of a coracle has been used to facilitate a visual image of their emotional undertaking. They became a coracle to ferry and sometimes paddle (guide) women across the tumultuous river of emotional experiences around becoming a mother. The midwife’s coracle provided the informational and social platform for the women to independently achieve motherhood. The journey to motherhood is an emotional one leading, for many, to emotional distress (Littlewood & McHugh 1997, Barclay et al 1997, Evin & Theofastous 1997, Laurie et al 2002, Lawler & Sinclair 2003). Government concern has led to guidance on the management of this health concern which has been included in a number of documents (antenatal guidelines - NICE 2003, 2008, perinatal mental health guidelines – NICE 2007, postnatal guidelines 2006, National Service Framework for children, young people and maternity services DH 2004) Midwives were found to offer emotional support through their existential use of themselves; their voice, touch, self disclosure and intuition. They became a coracle supporting and sometimes guiding the women. In turn they developed and were supported, in their emotion work, within a circle of care including other professionals and the woman’s family. Midwives undertake this special type of care in the woman’s own home through their intimate relationship with her to develop comfort and an inner sense of peace in the woman. References Barclay, L., Everitt, L., Rogan, T., Schmied, V., Wyllie, A., Becoming a mother – an analysis of women’s experience of early motherhood. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 25, Department of Health, National Service Framework for children, young people and maternity services in England. London: The Stationary office. Evins, G., Theofrastous, J., Post partum depression: a review of post partum screening. Primary Care Update Ob/Gyns, 4 (6), Giorgi, A., The Theory, Practice, and Evaluation of The Phenomenological Method as a Qualitative Research Procedure. Journal of Phenomenological Psychology, 28 (2), Lawler, D., Sinclair, M., Grieving for my former self: a phenomenological hermeneutical study of women’s lived experience of postnatal depression. Evidence based Midwifery, 1(2), Lawrie, T. A., Herxheimer, A., Dalton, K., Oestrogens and progestogens for preventing and treating postnatal depression. Issue 4. The Cochrane Collaboration: Wiley Publishers. (accessed January 2003). Littlewood, J., McHugh, N., Maternal distress and postnatal depression. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence NHS Antenatal care, Routine care for the healthy pregnant woman. NICE clinical guideline 6. Available from: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence NHS Routine postnatal care of women and their babies. NICE clinical guideline 37. Available from: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence NHS Antenatal and Postnatal mental health.. Available from: National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence NHS Antenatal care: routine care for healthy pregnant women. Available from: