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Abstract
Several universal customs related to human birth are presented in this article, and discussed from a psychoanalytical standpoint. Three features of childbirth customs and rites are examined. The first concerns the fact of giving birth in special places, a custom which is designed to desexualise birth. The second concerns the presence of female assistants during childbirth. The dual image of the protective mother and evil witch that are projected on the midwife are discussed. The third deals with the traditional absence of men at childbirth up to modern scientific times. This absence is interpreted as evidence of the prohibition on male gaze at childbirth.