Speechless at the Threshold of Birth: A Qualitative Study of Maternal Awe During Childbirth

Abstract

This dissertation explores the lived experience of awe during physiological childbirth among six women, employing the Listening Guide method. This phenomenological study addresses the gap in qualitative research on awe and childbirth from the birthing woman’s perspective, a critical oversight in psychological literature. Through semistructured interviews, the research examines awe as a complex, embodied phenomenon characterized by perceived vastness and the need for accommodation, as defined by Keltner and Haidt (2003). Findings reveal awe during childbirth as a dynamic interplay of surrender to the body, mystical or altered states of consciousness, ancestral and collective connectedness, and a phenomenon vulnerable to disruption by interventions. The study underscores childbirth as a natural pathway to profound altered consciousness, while highlighting a significant need for postpartum integration support to process these transformative experiences. By centering women’s subjective narratives, this research reframes birth as a site of spiritual and psychological transformation. It advocates for therapeutic practices to support women in metabolizing awe-inspiring birth experiences, enhancing maternal well-being and informing clinical approaches. The findings challenge the dominance of quantitative awe research, emphasizing the nuanced, multivalent nature of awe and its implications for feminist and phenomenological scholarship in understanding the birthing body’s profound capacity.