Rethinking Faith vs. Medicine to become, Faith and Medicine, Part 10

At first glance, faith and medicine seem to be two separate spheres. However, when, as suggested by Levin, Vanderpool, Mann and Messikomer, when there is the integration of faith and medicine, faith can become a powerful tool that motivates patients to act and for physicians to practice better medicine. Natural Childbirth, as created by Read and cultivated by pregnant mothers since, is a movement rooted in both faith and medicine, as inseparable as sperm and egg once joined to create a new human. The line between one and the other blurs to create a new being, which is to be defined on its own terms, not by that of an outsider who only uses the one familiar perspective.

Read’s critics, using their singular perspective as medical doctors, claimed that because of his lack of scientific evidence and his reliance on “his own eyes” that his method lacked credibility and validity. Yet, the testimony of the mothers who used his method tells us otherwise. Read’s preacher-like storytelling engaged his readers and listeners such that he created a fervent set of believers. Childbirth without Fear, still in publication seventy-six years later, illustrates the strength of Read’s teachings and the faith people have in him and his method.

It is the combination of both Read the self-proclaimed prophet and Read the method that created his success. When we look to the models of clergyman and physician, we not only see the corresponding personal callings, but we also see distinct expressions of faith in both fields. It is these parallels and similarities, rather than the superficial differences in outlook on specific topics within medicine that scholarship could be applied.

Read viewed pregnancy and birth as a fulfillment of a woman’s highest calling and that far from being pathological and something to be feared, birth can be pain free through proper preparation with adherence to Read’s method. Read believes that birth is normal and that it is a woman’s God given duty to produce children and raise them. By doing so, she is introducing and creating “motherlove”, which in turn will save the world.

Read, as the preacher of his gospel, views himself as a savior of women and of all mankind. Women have found faith in Read and his method for generations. It is through this faith that they can have births that create feelings of empowerment and strength as opposed to fear and weakness. Although Read’s prophecy of saving the world through “motherlove” did not come to fruition, his prophetic insights in to childbirth education, relaxation techniques and labor support from fathers have endured.

Next Up: Where do we go from here? Implications for modern childbirth education.