Another casualty of birth's relocation was the father, who until very recently was as welcome in the inner sanctum of the labor and delivery rooms as harmful bacteria. Grandparents were relegated to the position of purchasing agents and furnished little more than a layette or a snowsuit or two' their advice and experience rendered obsolete. Much was gained with this change in human birth. The medical profession had taken over birth as their domain and learned from it to offer assistance to women who needed it. Unfortunately, in the shuffle, women in good health and with excellent prospects of giving birth normally were treated with many of the same standards and precautions used for their high-risk counterparts.
Birth is a holistic event.
It involved each and every member of the family. It represents a combination of the right elements in a woman's life. Her body was designed for this very purpose but it needs more than physiology to complete its course. It requires the psychological and also the spiritual components. When pregnancy occurs at this peak time in a woman's life, she is eager to share her pregnancy with her loved ones.