Michel Odent, known as the father of natural childbirth, will warn this week at the Royal College of Midwives annual conference that the father’s presence at the birth can lead to his partner having a more painful and longer birth because of the anxiety of having him around. He argues women should be left alone with only a midwife to help them. He believes the 'masculinisation of the birth environment' helps to explain the fact that nearly a quarter of women in the UK now have a caesarean section. So is he right? Should we assume men shouldn’t be present at the birth rather than the other way round? Jenni is joined by Michel Odent and consultant obstetrician Pat O'Brien.
