My wife, Susan, gave birth to our four children in Japan, and at the time we both considered the experiences very positive ones . . . though I was only an innocent, if that is the right word, bystander. This was back in the 1980s, when new fathers were not generally allowed into the 分娩室(bunbenshitsu, delivery room) to witness the birth. I was insistent, however, and the medical staff graciously relented.

Now, it is said that in olden days in Britain women giving birth had their husbands tied to the bedpost so that they could not avoid seeing how much suffering their wives went through. I can tell you, I didn't need to be tied — and, in fact, the 分娩台(bunbendai, delivery table) had no posts anyway — in order to see just how painful birth is and how brave a woman can be in the face of it.

"To give birth" in Japanese is 生む (umu), often written as 産む. This second kanji, for san, is the key to a number of other words associated with birth. 産 by itself, or accompanied by the honorific "o" — as in お産 (osan, giving birth) — is the most common word for childbirth. 産婆 (samba) is a midwife; and if you make the mistake of writing it in katakana, you'll have a lively dance helping to deliver your baby. Perhaps birthing mothers in Brazil are into this sort of assistance.