21/08/2025
So sad saddened to hear news of the passing of Michel Odent, whose vision and writing reshaped the way we understand human birth.
Michel reminded us that birth is not a medical procedure to be controlled, but a primal rhythm journey to be respected and honoured.
He advocated for choice, homebirth-like maternity units, warm water births, protecting the birthing woman’s privacy and honouring her instincts, undisturbed and untimed contact between mothers and their baby’s ; he was among the first to discuss the importance of the microbiome, and questioned many of the practices that had (and have) become “normalised” in overmedicalised maternity systems globally.
Michel Odent’s legacy lives on in every dimmed, quiet birthing space, and in every midwife his words and work inspired, empowering and normalising the birthing journey. He was the god father of waterbirth.
Thank you, Michel, for your passion, vision and committment to women and newborns.
The world in a better place having your wisdom and knowledge with us and we Thankyou.
Photo: Xavier Caré / Wikimedia Commons / CC-BY-SA
