BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour: "The French obstretician, now aged 92, discusses the influence of his landmark 1975 book Birth Without Violence."This is just a short interview that played on Woman's Hour on 31 May, 2011, and well worth a listen - just prepare for your mouth to drop open wide very early on and probably stay like that way right the way through to the end.
As an ageing husband, Leboyer made me recall that I have often said to people that my ex-wife's two wonderful births had absolutely nothing to dom with me. I could be there, hold her hand, mop her brow, say kindly things ... but I was aware that she was on her own; I was not a part of it. It was therefore refreshing, after all these years, to come across this talk. I loved the interviewer's indignation and incomprehension! My wife's two births (one in hospital, one at home) were so satisfying to her that she wanted a third child simply to experience birth again. I cannot comment on those who, like the interviewer, were accused of being too afraid (etc) - as Leboyer said, men cannot understand – but I know from this outside experience that natural birth can be the amazing thing this man talks about. The medicalised version sounds horrific.
ReplyDelete