Abstract
In the Czech Republic, much attention has been paid to discussions about the competences of health professionals during so-called "normal" childbirth and the question of how to divide these competences between obstetricians and midwives. The initial controversy is the claim that the 'normal', 'natural' or 'physiological' birth process is the responsibility of midwives, as opposed to 'complicated' and 'pathological' birth, which is the responsibility of obstetricians.
But what does 'normal', 'physiological' and 'natural' mean in the context of childbirth? How do the health professionals who care for women in labour in the Czech Republic define normal, natural or physiological? Are their images of childbirth similar or are there differences within their interpretations in defining these concepts and how significant? In this paper, I will present the initial results of a research study that aims to find out how individual actors - health professionals describe the concepts of normality and naturalness in relation to the process of childbirth. Following the research, I ask how understanding of the concepts under investigation is constructed, which cultural variables may influence actors' interpretations, and how the concepts are linked to their conceptions of the care a woman should receive during childbirth.