French obstetrician Michel Odent stirred up controversy with his recent comments at the Royal College of Midwives where he said that men were a hindrance to natural childbirth and attributed the increased incidence of emergency caesareans (c-sections) to the ‘masculinisation’ of childbirth.
It’s all too often medical experts try to make judgements on the entire childbirth process from a set of statistics. Coincidentally they are usually male.
Given, there is definitely a rise in the incidence of caesareans, but I fear this is more due to the modern thinking that childbirth should be pain free and quick. Unfortunately nature did not design it that way.
Mr. Odent talks about the hormone oxytocin, the “love hormone” which facilitates childbirth in the mother. But he claims the presence of the male inhibits the production of the hormone and this results in a slowing of the birthing process. Surely if this is the “love hormone” than the presence of the partner you love is the best trigger for such a hormone?
Personally, I’m convinced the hormonal process of childbirth affects not just the mother but also the father. There are recent studies confirming hormonal changes in men following the birth of their child. It’s also brings two people closer together – what could be more natural than a man supporting his partner at the birth of their child?
What Mr. Odent is missing, in my opinion, is the fact that labour is a prolonged process – it can and often does take quite a long time. In our hypnobirthing class a lot of the examples we were shown were labours that took very long indeed – but they were relaxed, natural births.
Modern hospitals, and medical thinking, by contrast seems to be all about a quick labour and delivery, and long labour has somehow been equated with a problem labour. The cynic in me can’t help thinking the motivation behind this is to free up hospital beds.
My experience being at my wife’s side would certainly contrast with Odent’s perception of the world.
Firstly, I felt I was playing an important role in reassuring my wife on her progress, and answering her questions honestly. After about six hours hearing the midwife just say “you’re doing fine” and not sharing much else I think I became the point of trust. At no point did I try to direct the labour or tell me wife it was time to go to the hospital – this was her moment, and I knew my role was to support, not to dictate.
Odent is right in suggesting that technology and people surrounding a woman in labour will slow the progress of birth – it’s well known that mammals in labour stop progressing if they perceive danger or fear. But anyone who is in an unfamiliar or scary place is reassured by a familiar face, someone they can know and trust – surely for a woman in labour that person is going to be their partner or husband?
If anything Odent is making a very strong case for home birth. All that is needed for a childbirth really are mother, midwife and the reassuring presence of a husband to give support, when needed. Medical intervention is sometimes, of course, required, but hopefully the exception rather than the rule.
Let’s remember that childbirth is a natural condition, not a medical condition. If we place the experience of people like Odent it will very likely become a sterile medical event, which I don’t think any mother or father would want.
Further Reading:
The Guardian – A Dad from Day One BBC News – Should Dads be in the Delivery Room Duncan Fisher – What I said in the debate with Michel Odent Annabel Wynne – Michel Odent Should Stay Away From Childbirth
Dads in the Delivery Room: Natural Order!
by Graham on December 12, 2009
French obstetrician Michel Odent stirred up controversy with his recent comments at the Royal College of Midwives where he said that men were a hindrance to natural childbirth and attributed the increased incidence of emergency caesareans (c-sections) to the ‘masculinisation’ of childbirth.
It’s all too often medical experts try to make judgements on the entire childbirth process from a set of statistics. Coincidentally they are usually male.
Given, there is definitely a rise in the incidence of caesareans, but I fear this is more due to the modern thinking that childbirth should be pain free and quick. Unfortunately nature did not design it that way.
Mr. Odent talks about the hormone oxytocin, the “love hormone” which facilitates childbirth in the mother. But he claims the presence of the male inhibits the production of the hormone and this results in a slowing of the birthing process. Surely if this is the “love hormone” than the presence of the partner you love is the best trigger for such a hormone?
Personally, I’m convinced the hormonal process of childbirth affects not just the mother but also the father. There are recent studies confirming hormonal changes in men following the birth of their child. It’s also brings two people closer together – what could be more natural than a man supporting his partner at the birth of their child?
What Mr. Odent is missing, in my opinion, is the fact that labour is a prolonged process – it can and often does take quite a long time. In our hypnobirthing class a lot of the examples we were shown were labours that took very long indeed – but they were relaxed, natural births.
Modern hospitals, and medical thinking, by contrast seems to be all about a quick labour and delivery, and long labour has somehow been equated with a problem labour. The cynic in me can’t help thinking the motivation behind this is to free up hospital beds.
My experience being at my wife’s side would certainly contrast with Odent’s perception of the world.
Firstly, I felt I was playing an important role in reassuring my wife on her progress, and answering her questions honestly. After about six hours hearing the midwife just say “you’re doing fine” and not sharing much else I think I became the point of trust. At no point did I try to direct the labour or tell me wife it was time to go to the hospital – this was her moment, and I knew my role was to support, not to dictate.
Odent is right in suggesting that technology and people surrounding a woman in labour will slow the progress of birth – it’s well known that mammals in labour stop progressing if they perceive danger or fear. But anyone who is in an unfamiliar or scary place is reassured by a familiar face, someone they can know and trust – surely for a woman in labour that person is going to be their partner or husband?
If anything Odent is making a very strong case for home birth. All that is needed for a childbirth really are mother, midwife and the reassuring presence of a husband to give support, when needed. Medical intervention is sometimes, of course, required, but hopefully the exception rather than the rule.
Let’s remember that childbirth is a natural condition, not a medical condition. If we place the experience of people like Odent it will very likely become a sterile medical event, which I don’t think any mother or father would want.
Further Reading:
The Guardian – A Dad from Day One
BBC News – Should Dads be in the Delivery Room
Duncan Fisher – What I said in the debate with Michel Odent
Annabel Wynne – Michel Odent Should Stay Away From Childbirth
Photo (cc) by Kelly Sue from Flickr
Tagged as: baby, dads, delivery, fathers, labor, labour, michel odent