What Do Men Have to Do with It? Fathers and Mid-Twentieth-Century Childbirth

This article addresses the role of fathers during the births of their children, focusing on the United States in the mid-twentieth century when childbirth was a highly medicalized, in-hospital experience for the large majority of American women. It puts this period into the perspective of changing birth practices over time, and, using sources rich in the voices of all birth participants, especially the fathers-to-be, traces some significant changes in hospital practices. Specifically examined are men's feelings and activities while their wives were in labor and delivery, and their participation in decisions about labor induction, anesthesia, and cesarean section. In contrast to earlier writings of the author, this essay puts men at the center of some of the changes identified.