ABSTRACT
Joy at birth is something that matters in ways not yet fully articulated or investigated. To be touched and affected by a mood has both intrigued and invoked passion. Birth arouses the imagination. It is a mystery in which all of us have been involved. In the PhD, stories of being at birth were collected from mothers, birth partners, obstetricians, and midwives in face-to-face interviews. Joy is a word that conjures many unique interpretations: great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying; it can be a keen pleasure; elation, delight, something greatly valued or appreciated, an expression or display of glad feeling, a state of happiness, felicity, and cherished contentment. The chapter also presents an over view of the key concepts discussed in this book.
