In all cultures, the midwife's place is on the threshold of life, where intense human emotions, fear, hope, longing, triumph, and incredible physical power-enable a new human being to emerge. Her vocation is unique.
Sheila KitzingerRead
Fathers' sharing in the birth experience can be a stimulus for men's freedom to nurture, and a sign of changing relationships between men and women. In the same way, women's freedom to give birth at home is a political decision, an assertion of determination to reclaim the experience of birth. Birth at home is about changing society.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the importance of shared experiences in birth and the impact of personal choices on societal norms.
Sheila Kitzinger's quote highlights the evolving dynamics of gender roles in childbirth, suggesting that when fathers participate more fully in the birth process, it fosters their ability to nurture and reshapes traditional relationships between men and women. Additionally, women's choices regarding the setting of childbirth, particularly opting for home births, are framed as powerful political statements that aim to redefine societal perceptions of motherhood and reclaim personal agency in the birthing experience.
Themes
BirthFathersWomenFreedomNurtureRelationshipsSociety
In practice
Example use cases
During a parenting workshop, you can use this quote to discuss the evolving roles of fathers in child-rearing.
More from Sheila Kitzinger
All quotes βIn achieving the depersonalization of childbirth and at the same time solving the problem of pain, our society may have lost more than it has gained. We are left with the physical husk; the transcending significance has been drained away.
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