title: Sacred space at the moment of birth.
abstract: This paper focuses on the experience of sacred space at the moment of birth. Through the stories of those present, a powerful and vulnerable space is revealed, where something magical and deeply tender emerges, creating feelings of connection and transformative new possibilities. Sacred space is a revered and honoured space that holds a shared sense of the miraculous. This paper argues that something ineffable occurs at the moment of birth, opening up sacred space which requires our protection in whatever circumstances it happens. How we are and what we do in birth's sacred space is highlighted, to challenge and initiate further thinking. Data in this paper are drawn from a larger hermeneutic phenomenological study that examines the experiences of joy at birth, for which ethical approval was given by AUTEC, New Zealand.
authors.affiliation: AUT University, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crowther
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000523:psychology*; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D009769:Object Attachment; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000523:psychology*; D018907:Privacy; D012931:Social Environment; D029181:Spirituality; D055815:Young Adult