Hiding in the Pub to Cutting the Cord? Men's Presence at Childbirth in Britain c.1940s-2000s.

Laura King

doi:10.1093/shm/hkw057

Abstract

Since the 1940s, men’s presence at childbirth has changed from being out of the question to not only very common but often presented as highly valuable. This article examines this shift, charting how many men were present at their children’s births over recent decades, considering how medical practitioners influenced men’s participation, and analysing what meanings parents gave to this experience. It suggests a number of factors led to the relatively rapid move towards the acceptance of men’s presence in the delivery room, but highlights this was not a simple transformation as a first glance at the figures would suggest. It argues that men’s involvement in home births became more usual before hospitals changed their policies about men’s presence, and considers how the role of fathers related to the increasingly medicalised nature of childbirth as this period progressed. It also considers whether men’s involvement is always positive or welcome for those involved.

Highlights

In the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries in Britain, some husbands from aristocratic and elite families were present for their wives’ labours.1. This practice became uncommon in the twentieth century, as women increasingly gave birth in medical institutions
In 1964, a BBC television programme showed footage of a husband accompanying his wife during the birth of their child
This article argues that attitudes and practices around men’s involvement in childbirth were starting to change in the 1950s

Summary

Laura King*

Since the 1940s, men’s presence at childbirth has changed from being out of the question to very common but often presented as highly valuable This article examines this shift, charting how many men were present at their children’s births over recent decades, considering how medical practitioners influenced men’s participation, and analysing what meanings parents gave to this experience. It suggests a number of factors led to the relatively rapid move towards the acceptance of men’s presence in the delivery room, but highlights this was not a simple transformation as a first glance at the figures would suggest. It considers whether men’s involvement is always positive or welcome for those involved

Introduction

Findings

Conclusion