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Doctor sparks debate after claiming men shouldn’t see women give birth

Published 14:50 10 Apr 2024 BST

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Doctor sparks debate after claiming men shouldn’t see women give birth

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Was your partner in the room when you gave birth?

Back in the day, having dads in the delivery room was very much unheard of. Nowadays, however, a whopping 90 percent of dads-to-be are there by their partner’s side through labour and birth.

The thing is, though, a UK doctor has come out and said that, in his opinion, men should not be in the room when a woman gives birth.

“Men should never watch a woman give birth”

In fact; Dr Michel Odent thinks that men should NEVER watch a woman give birth, and should not be expected to be in the delivery room for the delivery of his baby.

This, the doctor argues, is better for everyone involved, the father, the mother, and the baby. The reason he gives is that without their partner by their side, women can relax easier – which in turn will speed up labour and delivery.

Oh, and it doesn’t end there. Odent also claims a woman needs to be left alone for a while after she has given birth too, and says this will help with the bonding process.

In conversation with Netmums, he explained:

“After birth, too, a woman needs a few moments alone with her baby, particularly between the time the child is born and she delivers the placenta. And this is not just about her need to bond with her baby. Physically, in order to deliver the placenta with ease, her levels of oxytocin – the hormone of love – need to peak. This happens if she has a moment in which she can forget everything about the world, save for her baby, and if she has time in which she can look into the baby’s eyes, make contact with its skin and take in its smell without any distractions.”

Do you agree?

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