 The book argued that because of "civilized" British women fear birth, the birthrate was dropping, and if they were not to fear birth it would be easier since fear creates tension which, in turn, causes pain.Dick-Read's ideas were at first ridiculed, and he was expelled from the London clinic he had set up with a group of fellow obstetricians.When the Woking partnership was dissolved in 1934, Dick-Read set up a private clinic at 25 Harley Street.