In the Theaetetus, Socrates compares himself to his mother, a midwife: barren of wisdom himself, he helps others bring forth what they carry and tests whether it is true or a phantom. The image suggests that truth is found within, as in the teaching of recollection.
Maieutics
Midwifery: Socrates’ art of helping others give birth to the ideas within them.
Also: Socratic midwifery