Go back to 17th- and 18th-century England and France and you’ll see the same sort of handwringing over birthrates that we’re seeing today.
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Articles on Midwife
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The plight of women who had to give birth alone during the pandemic is a good starting point to discuss a better childbirth experience for all women.
‘Catching a baby’ or caring for new parents on Christmas Day is special, midwives say. But Christmas can also be a vulnerable time for many women, especially so during a pandemic.
Many women are turning away from hospital births during the pandemic, preferring to give birth at home. But midwives aren’t always available to support them. So some are birthing without one.
During a pandemic, a home birth starts looking better every second. Midwives with their specialized skills in low-risk normal birth can be of great service.
Childbirth used to be a terrifying ordeal. But women were surrounded by others – mothers, aunts, sisters – who brought love and experience. But midway through the 19th century, this changed.
Evidence suggests that microbes play a vital role in health. But what microbes we get depends whether we were born in a hospital versus at home. That could impact our health decades later.
Top contributors
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Professor of Midwifery, Associate Dean Research and HDR, Midwifery Discipline Leader, Western Sydney University
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Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard University
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Associate Professor of Health History, Glasgow Caledonian University
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Professor of History, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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Associate Professor, Midwifery Education Program, Toronto Metropolitan University
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Assistant Clinical Professor of Midwifery, Yale University
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Lecturer in English, Loughborough University
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Researcher in Medical Anthropology, The University of Edinburgh
