Men have only been fully allowed to work as midwives since 1982 and since that time very few have taken up the opportunity.
“What’s the difference between men working as obstetricians and men working as midwives?” Same job, different genitalia!” So far, so simple .
The view in 1978 when the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) argued that “the fact that the midwife is a woman is an important part of her function”.
Some argue that they are a midwife who “just happens to be a man” whilst others felt that there are “very few moments when I wasn’t aware of my gender.”
I think the reason some women prefer a woman is because a woman has the same body parts and may have gone through childbirth herself, meaning they may have more empathy towards the patient. A man doesn’t have a vagina or uterus, so he may not understand how painful a particular procedure can be for a woman. He may not take her as seriously when she says she’s in pain, because he doesn’t know what it’s like himself. It’s not about gender norms, it’s about having the same equipment.
I’m a woman and can’t comprehend what it’s like to be kicked in the balls. I know it’s really painful for men, but I can’t really imagine what it would be like. I would completely understand if a man wanted a male doctor working on his balls as opposed to a woman who doesn’t have balls.
It requires an ability to care and statistics show that male surgeons have higher death rate for their female patients than male patients. Sure, maybe there is a unicorn man out there who really cares about women and wants to be a midwife but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
I am not going to ask other women, when they are pregnant, one of the most vulnerable times in their lives to go ahead and choose a male midwife just to be “feminist”.
“Male midwives – can you refuse?”
“I really wouldn’t feel comfortable with a man delivering my baby.”