I love defining roles as well! Which is part of the reason I vowed to obey my husband when we married - the Bible states wives should obey their husbands, but that husbands should give everything for their wives. When two people think of the other more than themselves you usually get a happy couple!

Shannon, it's an obligation to the husband because it's the wife's role to give the husband healthy children - yes, it's also good for her and the children, but providing healthy children is an obligation to your husband. I don't think any man would disown his wife for not having a healthy child, but some practices for "deformed" babies were quite cruel.

I do remember something about an Italian Catholic divorcing her husband because of lack of relations... he was "denying her the right to have a baby" and she was granted the divorce. I remember that because for a Catholic to get a divorce it has to be OK'd by the laws in the Bible and is a big thing, also because I was really mad at DH at the time and e-mailed it to him as a bit of a threat, but can't find it now.