過去台灣社會,懷孕生子是女人家的事,許多民間傳統禁忌將男人屏除於外,更不可能讓男人參與生產過程。自戰後以來生產逐漸由家中轉移到醫院,我們最熟悉的畫面之一是男人焦急、擔憂地在產房外踱步,直至孩子出生,被告知母嬰的安危及嬰兒的性別。時至今日,這情況已大有改變,許多男性不但能進產房,且是主要的陪產者。男性角色的改變不只在產程,男性也漸漸參與產前檢查的過程。 為了瞭解台灣男性在生產過程中角色的轉變及其性別意義,因此本研究訪談了17位男性是在1970-2008期間妻子有生產,瞭解他們如何參與在產前、產程。 研究結果發現,1970年代以前的男性,得知妻子懷孕之後,其生活作息並無太大改變,懷孕的妻子主要都是由婆婆或岳母照護。但女性長輩不住在一起或是鄰近,丈夫的角色就有其重要性,比較會主動關心妻子的需求。 走過了1970、80年代,到了1990年代,這時期台灣的性別關係發生了巨大的轉變,夫妻之間不再恪守「男主外,女主內」的分工,核心家庭取代大家庭成為主要家庭模式,當女性懷孕時,身旁的丈夫成了最主要的支持者,醫療體系的論述在此時也漸漸將男性視之為產婦重要的支持,肯定丈夫的積極參與對生產有正面的影響。1990年代後的男性,已能進入產房目睹生產過程,或以攝影器材紀錄此一過程,迎接新生命的到來成了夫妻要共同參與的重要事件。 社會環境的改變不只牽動了夫妻親密關係標準的變動,也影響了醫療體系對準爸爸們的態度。為了理解醫護人員如何看待從過去拒絕到現在接納男性進入產房的改變過程,本研究訪談了9位醫護人員,從訪談結果中發現對於開放男性進產房一事,醫護人員仍存在著歧異性。 本研究藉著探討不同世代的男性參與妻子懷孕、生產形式的改變,反映了夫妻之間親密關係的演進。
In the past, childbirth is a matter for women only, and also it is impossible for men to participate in the childbirth. After the World War II, childbirth moved from home to the hospital. The most familiar image is the anxious husband pacing worriedly along outside the delivery room, until the good news about the childbirth and baby’s gender were told. Now things has greatly changed, and many men not only entered the delivery room, but also become the main companions. Above all they even gradually take part in the process of prenatal care. In order to understand the gendered experience of the in the prenatal process and childbirth, this study interviewed 17 men whose wives gave childbirth during the period 1970-2008. The results are as follows: Before the 1970s, pregnancy had very little impact on the husband, the pregnant wives were mainly cared by the mother-in-laws. If the mother-in-laws were not living nearly, the husband's would then play more active role in care. By 1980s, the gender relationship in Taiwan has greatly changed. Both men and women would go out to work. The care family had replaced the three-generation-family as the main family pattern. When women become pregnant, her husbands become the main support, and the health care system is also recognized importance of husbands in supporting the pregnant wives, and their active participation have a positive impacts on childbirth. Men after the 1990s, has been able to enter the delivery room to witness the childbirth process or record such a process with filming equipments. It seems that welcoming together the arrival of the new baby has become an important event for birth husband and wife. Social change not only affected the relationship between the husband and wife, it also affected how the health care system treated the father. In order to understand how the medical professionals change their views from rejection of the husbands’ participation in childbirth to accept them into the delivery room, the study interviewed nine health care professionals, it is found that medical care professionals hold different views on the matter. In this study, through different generations of husbands involved in his wife the pregnant and childbirth and the change, reflecting the intimate relationship between husband and wife evolution.