Michel Odent, MD, has been influencing the history of childbirth and health
research for several decades. As a practitioner he developed the maternity
unit at Pithiviers Hospital in France in the 1960s and 1970s. With six
midwives, he was in charge of about one thousand births a year and achieved
excellent statistics with low rates of intervention. Odent is familiarly
known as the obstetrician who introduced the concept of birthing pools
and home-like birthing rooms. His approach has been featured in eminent
medical journals such as The Lancet and in TV documentaries such as the
BBC film Birth Reborn. After his hospital career he practiced homebirths.
Odent's 21st-century books (The Scientification of Love, The Farmer and
the Obstetrician and The Caesarean) may be regarded as a trilogy. They
raise urgent questions about the future of our civilizations.
Odent is a contributing editor to Midwifery Today magazine.
Research
As a researcher Michel
Odent founded the Primal Health Research Center in London, England, which
focuses on the long-term consequences of early experiences. An overview
of the Primal Health Research data bank demonstrates how health is shaped
during the primal period (from conception until the first birthday). The
research also suggests that the way we are born has long-term consequences
for sociability, aggressiveness—in other words, for our capacity
to love. Michel Odent has developed a pre-conception program (the "accordion
method") that minimizes the polluting effects of synthetic fat-soluble
chemicals, such as dioxins and PCBs, during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
His other research interests are the nonspecific long-term effects of
early multiple vaccinations.
For further information on Michel Odent, his books and the Primal Health
Research Center, click HERE
Learn about the Paramana
Doula Course by Michel Odent and Liliana Lammers, an experienced Doula,
HERE
Publications
In addition to approximately
50 scientific papers, Odent has published 11 books in 21 languages. His
books demonstrate his artistry in turning traditional questions around:
"How do we develop good health?" instead of "How do we
prevent disease?" or "How do we develop the capacity to love?"
instead of "How do we prevent violence?"
Other books by Michel Odent:
Birthing Normally : A Personal Growth Approach to Childbirth
Birth Reborn
Birth Traditions & Modern Pregnancy Care
Entering the World : The De-Medicalization of Childbirth
The Nature of Birth and Breastfeeding
Trust Your Body! Trust Your Baby!
We Are All Water Babies