ACTIVE BIRTH

noun (Health and Fitness) Childbirth during which the mother is encouraged to be as active as possible, mainly by moving around freely and assuming any position which feels comfortable. Etymology: Formed by compounding: birth which is active rather than passive. History and Usage: The active birth movement was founded by childbirth counsellor Janet Balaskas in 1982 as a direct rejection of the increasingly technological approach to childbirth which prevailed in British and American hospitals at the time. Ironically, this technological approach was known as the active management of labour; to many of the women involved it felt like a denial of their right to participate in their own labour. The idea of active birth was to move away from the view that a woman in labour is a patient to be treated (and therefore passive), freeing her from the encumbrance of monitors and other medical technology whenever possible and handing over to her the opportunity to manage her own labour. The concept has been further popularized in the UK by Sheila Kitzinger. The concept of Active Birth is based on the idea that the woman in labour is an active birthgiver, not a passive patient. Sheila Kitzinger Freedom & Choice in Childbirth (1987), p. 63 New Active Birth by Janet Balaskas...After Active Birth, published in 1983, updated New Active Birth prepares a woman for complete participation in the birth of her child. Guardian 1 Aug. 1989, p. 17