Reclaming Family Birth Part 1

Reader Contribution by Jeremy Galvan
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It wasn’t that long ago birth was a family affair. Before the 1940s most people were born at home. Women got pregnant as they do today and men stood by their side throughout the labor and delivery, usually catching the child. Around the turn of the century a new profession came about called the obstetrician. This new experimental form of medicine saw an opportunity that was too good to be true. If they could get every woman to give birth in the hospital then they would have a busy, profitable business forever. After all, people enjoy having sex more than most other things.

I can’t say for sure when husbands were removed from the process of birth but I would imagine it happened sometime early in the transfer of home births to hospital birth.  When you see movies from the 1950’s and 1960’s you always see the husband waiting in the Labor and Delivery waiting room, much like Steve Martin in “Father of the Bride 2,” waiting in the hallway while they C-Section his wife. I can’t imagine not being there to hold her hand and let her know I love her. 

I wonder why us guys were removed. Do we have no importance in the process? Do we serve no purpose?

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