A leading childbirth specialist, Michael Odent, is about to present an argument to the British Midwives conference that the best environment for a birth includes a good midwife and no men.

“In this situation, more often than not, the birth is easier and faster than when there are no other people around, especially male figures, husbands and doctors.’ he claims, having over 50 years experience in Britain, Africa and France.

Labour may be longer and more difficult, mothers become more tense and their hormonal balance is disrupted. He says in some births fathers can be put off sex, and suggests that their presence is related to more men getting postnatal depression.

The most important thing, others argue, is that the mother feels safe, secure and supported, so if she wants to have only women around, fine. It may not be a father’s right to be there.

One midwife suggests that fathers suffer emotional turmoil before and after birth and that perhaps the midwifery profession has been encouraging fathers to attend births without understanding the impact of the birth on either them or the mother.