LAUSR

OBJECTIVE To discuss the concept of 'transcendent birth', an as yet poorly articulated and under recognised psychosocial wellness phenomenon of childbirth. DESIGN an auto-ethnographical examination of the primary authors' journaled experiences as a student midwife and childbearing woman. SETTING three maternity care units in South Eastern Australia as well as the home of the primary author. FINDINGS The phenomenon of transcendent birth is linked with physiologic birth. Maternity care can hinder or facilitate physiologic birth, and therefore transcendent birth. KEY CONCLUSIONS Transcendent birth is more likely in maternity care models which value the childbearing woman and physiologic birth. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Women's access to transcendent birth is demarcated by women's position in society, cultural knowledge of transcendent birth and the valuing of transcendent birth as a maternity care outcome.