Sheila Kitzinger was born on 29 March 1929 in Taunton, Somerset, England, UK. She was married to Uwe W. Kitzinger. She died on 11 April 2015 in Standlake, Oxfordshire, England, UK.
She was an anthropologist who became an advocate of natural childbirth. She wrote 25 books, many of them about birth practices in various cultures around the world. She is credited with encouraging fathers to be present at the birth of their children, something that is now routine.