I don’t think we should prescribe a one-size-fits-all birth environment. If, when you say “the presence of the father is equally important” you just mean that he is somewhere nearby in the home to be available, that’s one thing, but the actual birthing is the mother’s. I birthed 3 children, the second two at home, and the home births wen…
I don’t think we should prescribe a one-size-fits-all birth environment. If, when you say “the presence of the father is equally important” you just mean that he is somewhere nearby in the home to be available, that’s one thing, but the actual birthing is the mother’s. I birthed 3 children, the second two at home, and the home births went smoothly as I wandered my home on my own going inwards with the deep contractions. I didn’t want anyone (father, midwife) entering my space. Once baby was arriving, I wanted the father and midwives there to welcome him, but I note the author chose to be solo for later briths, so again, no “rules”. I remember Dr. Michel Odent saying he observed the best midwifery practice was to be unobtrusively in a corner (maybe knitting) only “assisting” if wanted, so the mother retained her inward focus on what her body was telling her.
What you are writing about is the perfect approach (I guess), provided that the mother is a highly self-aware person. Then, you are feeling what is needed in the now and I bet the result will be perfect. These days, a 20-year-old of that readiness may be an exception, not the rule, though. Especially with the first child which is more of a social rite of passage into being regarded as a woman on equal terms.
No, I don’t mean throwing the man out there to stroll and wait clueless what is happening. Just the opposite - I mean getting him involved as much as it is possible, and having him being physically very close - if this is agreed between the parents. After WW2, the military was baffled with numerous AWOLs by otherwise obedient and “perfect” soldiers. When they engaged psychologists and did the stats, it turned out that these hardened and trained professionals had pregnant wives. And they were experiencing this period of life in their own way, which was visible in deregulated routines, anxiety, up to leaving their units while on duty (and going back home). After further investigation, psychologists concluded that this cannot be avoided because of the natural and scientifically unexplainable hypersensitivity and intuitive feelings reported in these men. So the military came to know from experience that the pregnancy is not only the mother’s thing - some 70 years ago.
By the way, the medical personnel (in general) love to disrupt family ties and push family members around in order to isolate them from the person who is being attended to. Even for simple wound care. With childbirth they tend to be even more militant, in particular women “protecting” the feminine world from those bad men. A lot of psychology work is needed there. But that’s a slightly different issue.
I don’t think we should prescribe a one-size-fits-all birth environment. If, when you say “the presence of the father is equally important” you just mean that he is somewhere nearby in the home to be available, that’s one thing, but the actual birthing is the mother’s. I birthed 3 children, the second two at home, and the home births went smoothly as I wandered my home on my own going inwards with the deep contractions. I didn’t want anyone (father, midwife) entering my space. Once baby was arriving, I wanted the father and midwives there to welcome him, but I note the author chose to be solo for later briths, so again, no “rules”. I remember Dr. Michel Odent saying he observed the best midwifery practice was to be unobtrusively in a corner (maybe knitting) only “assisting” if wanted, so the mother retained her inward focus on what her body was telling her.
What you are writing about is the perfect approach (I guess), provided that the mother is a highly self-aware person. Then, you are feeling what is needed in the now and I bet the result will be perfect. These days, a 20-year-old of that readiness may be an exception, not the rule, though. Especially with the first child which is more of a social rite of passage into being regarded as a woman on equal terms.
No, I don’t mean throwing the man out there to stroll and wait clueless what is happening. Just the opposite - I mean getting him involved as much as it is possible, and having him being physically very close - if this is agreed between the parents. After WW2, the military was baffled with numerous AWOLs by otherwise obedient and “perfect” soldiers. When they engaged psychologists and did the stats, it turned out that these hardened and trained professionals had pregnant wives. And they were experiencing this period of life in their own way, which was visible in deregulated routines, anxiety, up to leaving their units while on duty (and going back home). After further investigation, psychologists concluded that this cannot be avoided because of the natural and scientifically unexplainable hypersensitivity and intuitive feelings reported in these men. So the military came to know from experience that the pregnancy is not only the mother’s thing - some 70 years ago.
By the way, the medical personnel (in general) love to disrupt family ties and push family members around in order to isolate them from the person who is being attended to. Even for simple wound care. With childbirth they tend to be even more militant, in particular women “protecting” the feminine world from those bad men. A lot of psychology work is needed there. But that’s a slightly different issue.