Childbirth as sacred celebration.

Crowther, Susan

Abstract

This chapter explores how childbirth is spiritually experienced and meaningful within society revealing how childbirth has purpose both individually and collectively. The discourse and mood around childbirth internationally is often concerned with risk, morbidity and mortality yet philosophers O'Byrne (2010) and Arendt (1958) infer that childbirth is a celebration of natality and future possibility, not purely avoidance of mortality. This chapter acknowledges birth as both joy and sorrow, birth as the potential for epiphany, peak experience, moments of self-actualisation and a time of remembrance. The notions of Kairos time (sacred felt-time) at birth and meaningful encounters in and around childbirth is introduced with narrative examples. Something lies quiescent in the background of childbirth gesturing to ineffability, the inexplicable, and what is mysterious and awe inspiring.

Citation

CROWTHER, S. 2017. Childbirth as sacred celebration. In Crowther, S. and Hall, J. (eds.) Spirituality and childbirth: meaning and care at the start of life. Abingdon: Routledge [online], chapter 2, pages 13-29. Available from: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781315389639

• Online Publication Date: Sep 13, 2017
• Publication Date: Sep 13, 2017
• Deposit Date: Jul 20, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 14, 2018
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
• Pages: 13-29
• Book Title: Spirituality and childbirth: meaning and care at the start of life
• Chapter Number: Chapter 2
• ISBN: 9781138229419
• Keywords: Childbirth; Spiritual meaning; Celebration; Embodied experiences; Sacred celebration
• Public URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10059/3008
• Publisher URL: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/e/9781315389639