Dr Grantly Dick-Read was a pioneer of natural childbirth, becoming a household name after the Second World War when his book Childbirth without Fear was published. He expounded the theory that labour pain was caused by women's anxiety, and that pain-free birth is possible. Championed by the early Woman's Hour programmes, he had a huge influence on women's attitudes to childbirth. The forerunner of the National Childbirth Trust was founded in 1956 by a group of his female supporters, but he was also criticized by fellow physicians and by women themselves. On the 50th anniversary of his death, Jenni is joined by Medical historian Ornella Moscucci who is writing Dr Grantly Dick-Read’s biography, and Gwen Rankin, who was one of the founding members of the NCT.
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