AIMS Journal, 2016, Vol 28 No 4
In 1961, I wanted to have my husband with me for our baby’s bir th; and was refused. In 1963, in another hospital in Edinburgh, another consultant agreed. In 1965 in York, I was at first refused: only doctors’ wives could have their husbands, said the consultant. But I slipped through the barrier, by being a professor of biology’s wife. All went well; and after that, all women in that maternity unit could have their baby’s father with them.
This little history raises questions. Why did I want my husband so much? How much did I feel spontaneously and how much was I influenced by AIMS, magazine ar ticles, etc.? Why was I determined and confident? That is easily answered: reading the AIMS Journal and feeling approved of and socially suppor ted by its members, though I knew none personally.
Why did social status – being married to the right man – matter so much? Why did one successful case of a non-doctor father have such a far-reaching effect? Whatever the answers, the conclusion is clear : know what you want; feel socially justified; ask for it; and sometimes you will receive it.
Charlotte Williamson
Charlotte is a long-standing AIMS member
Please feel free to download and share a pdf of this article. If you wish to use AIMS copyright material please see aims.org.uk/general/aims-copyright
If you found this article helpful please consider becoming an AIMS member or making a donation to support our work. We are a small charity that accepts no commercial sponsorship, in order to preserve our reputation for providing impartial, evidence-based information.
AIMS supports all maternity service users to navigate the system as it exists, and campaigns for a system which truly meets the needs of all.