I hate to be the “well, actually” person here, because I don’t think there’s anything wrong with personally viewing Zeus as a protector of childbirth (you could really pray to him for any kind of protection), BUT I do think we should be careful about sources.
The epithet, as far as I could find, comes from a single source: Pausanias’s Description of Greece. He’s now considered a reliable source, so there’s no reason to doubt him, but he is just one source describing a single instance of an epithet’s use and not widespread worship. Here’s what he has to say about it, as translated by W. H. S. Jones (the guy who proposed the fascinating theory that malaria was a primary cause of the collapse of classical empires, earning himself the nickname “Malaria Jones”):
"The city of Aliphera [in Arkadia has] . . . set up an altar of Zeus Lekheates (In child-bed), because here he gave birth to Athena. There is a stream they call Tritonis, adopting the story about the river Triton." Pausanias, Description of Greece 8. 26. 6
The only other references I could find from a simple internet search were these:
1) the Theoi.com reference @pomegranatehymns found, which claims to be from Pausanias but seems to be taken word for word from William Smith’s Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology from the mid-1800s. It’s considered pretty accurate when it comes to things taken from primary sources, but Wikipedia notes that “…the context in which ancient evidence is viewed, analysed, reconciled, and understood has changed considerably in the intervening centuries,” (a statement that applies to any historical analysis written a long time ago).
All that to say that I have no idea if Smith is correct in the translation of “protector of,” or if Jones is more accurate with “in childbed.” Which sounds pedantic, but leads me to the other reference I found…
2) Nicole Loraux, a French historian who was known for her writings on gender in Ancient Greece, addresses male birth stories in The Experiences of Tiresias: The Feminine and the Greek Man.
Disclaimer: I haven’t read the whole book, which you can read here.
Loraux gets into philosophy of male figures absorbing the feminine. Zeus’s connection to childbirth is well known because he HIMSELF has given birth several times. Loraux’s argument is nuanced, long, and complicated, but suffice to say she thinks the idea of males giving birth is more about power than an appreciation of mothers.
Yeah, this sent me down a rabbit hole.
TL;DR There’s no evidence that childbirth was considered a domain of Zeus. Lekheates comes from a single reference to a single altar in the location where Zeus was said to have birthed Athena.
BUT anyone can pray to Zeus for any reason they want. It was, and is, common practice to pray to the gods for general protection and success. Many homes kept household altars to Zeus, and I’m sure people have prayed to him for guidance and protection in affairs of the home and family. Your prayers are your business:)
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