The opening of the text outlines the author's motivation and objectives in writing the book, noting the importance of a broad understanding of obstetrical practices amongst nurses. Van Blarcom discusses the common confusion faced by nurses trained under disparate obstetric approaches and expresses her desire to provide a comprehensive overview that may help standardize care. She defines the structure of the book and highlights its division into seven parts, covering anatomy, physiology, prenatal care, labor assistance, postpartum care, and the early stages of infant care. The introduction sets a serious tone, underlining the critical need for improved maternal and infant healthcare practices to prevent unnecessary mortality and morbidity during childbirth. (This is an automatically generated summary.)