I do not prefer the title “Death’s Midwife” to refer to the role of those who companion or assist with “Planned Death”, AKA Assisted Dying.
A professional Midwife specializes in low risk pregnancy, child birth, and postpartum. The term “Death Midwife” suggests a specialty in supporting natural dying, death and bereavement. Though medications may be used, the goal would be supporting a comfortable death rather than a hastened death.
I wonder if my hesitancy is because of my personal discomfort with the idea of sitting at the bedside of someone who is dying a “planned death”. And the idea that orchestrating a “planned death” seems unnatural and therefore out of the scope of a “Death Midwife”. Or, perhaps it is because i like the title “Death Midwife” and do not want it “taken” to describe a type of care that I can not see myself participating in.
I wonder if Ruth von Fuchs uses this title herself? And I wonder Ruth, if you have other titles you have considered?
