ABSTRACT
Human civilisation has witnessed changes in the social and cultural context of childbirth. These changes involve continuing modification in symbolism, behaviour, organisation of care and emergence of new value and belief systems. Birth is a unique social and cultural occasion holding meaning for society as a whole. The topic of spirituality and childbirth has beckoned us both for a long time through personal and professional experiences. As Swinton and Pattison contend definitions of spirituality are always fluid, various and imprecise. If spirituality involves a quest for the purpose in life and meaning to the project of living, then birth, as a sacred event, can be interpreted as the start of an ongoing journey for the new baby, the parents and family/community. Researching and attempting to write about ineffability, spirituality and sacred experience is complex and challenging. How birth is 'languaged' in contemporary society are covering something up and denying another dimension of knowing.
