A History of Childbirth

In the history of childbirth there has never been a better time to be having a baby. If you're nervous about giving birth then thank your lucky stars to be living today! In times past, childbirth was a much rougher scene!

Keeping our attention on centuries past, childbirth was first and foremost a woman's domain. Men were out! Husbands, doctors, and any other man for that matter were strictly not allowed anywhere near a woman in labor. This was a job for mothers, sisters, friends, and the local midwife, all of whom were women.

In those days, skills, knowledge, and encouragement were passed down from woman to woman. You were not left in the dark, but surrounded on all sides from pregnancy through delivery with comfort, support, and encouragement. That was the beauty of living back then!

The Down Side?
When infections occurred or the baby got stuck on the way out, there was little if anything that could be done and the baby and many times the woman would die of "childbirth complications".

In America in the 1800's, doctors started to become very interested in these "childbirth complications" and number of "new" ideas came about. One new invention was the forceps. When the baby got stuck, the doctor could pull it out. Another idea was the use of chloroform, or ether, to make a woman completely unconscious during labor and delivery and therefore in zero pain.

No Pain? Talk about a revolution.

As doctors began to promise less pain and a greater chance of survival, many women began to choose a doctor over the traditional midwife. I can't really blame them, can you?

In the early 1900's came the shift from home birth to hospital birth. The only problem is that as this shift occurred, the treatment of women giving birth began to decline. Doctors became impatient. Birth became a procedure, not a natural biological process. Women began to be heavily drugged, strapped to the bed, episiotomies were used almost every time, all in the name of "getting the baby out". Are you a little shaken? I'd be afraid of giving birth too if I lived back then. By the way, as the doctors gained more control they began to appeal to the government for laws that prohibited using a midwife for delivery(almost forcing hospital deliveries).

It's Ok, It Gets Better

Then, in the late 1900's a change began to take place. A light in our "history of childbirth" is lit. One man, Dr Grantly Dick Reed, began to question the current standards for birthing after he was able to witness a humble birth in a very poor part of London to a woman who gave birth easily and without "pain". This woman he attended simply labored quietly. When offered chloroform she refused it. She went on to give birth naturally and easily. When asked why she had refused the drugs she simply said "It didn't hurt. It wasn't meant to, was it doctor?" This simple statement sparked an idea in his mind that was later ignited when he returned to the hospital that night. Upon his return, one of the nurses mentioned how boring things had been that night but that things might be picking up soon because down the corridor it looked as if someone would be needing help.

A flame had been lit.
Why was it that birth had become boring if no intervention was needed? Why was this poor, humble woman able to give birth quietly and calmly while many other seemingly "educated" women struggled in extreme pain? Dick-Reeds' theory of how fear affects childbirth was born.

While his theory was at first scoffed at by the professional and public communities alike, he persisted, and soon more and more women began to desire a more natural birth for themselves and for their babies.

There began a movement to improve the birthing process and to make it more of the natural process it was intended to be. Women wanted to be alert, awake, and to be a part of their births. They wanted ways to deal with the pain that would not affect the fetus. They wanted to be in control and not at the mercy of whomever was delivering the baby. And so a sort of challenge was set: finding ways to help mothers deliver naturally.

"What can we come up with that will produce a healthy and happy mom and baby?"

Enter into the history of childbirth two of the most widely recognized doctors in the pregnancy world today, Dr. Lamaze and Dr. Bradley. Their revolutionary approaches to childbirth, the lamaze childbirth method and the bradley method ,use knowledge and relaxation techniques to help women deal with the pain that comes with childbirth. They have formed the basis for what childbirth has become, and is still becoming today.

You have more choices, resources, and help available today than in any other age the world has seen yet! Use them, and don't be afraid! Childbirth really can be one of the greatest days in your life! And, considering the history of childbirth, I don't think you can disagree:

There has never been a better time to give birth!

Top of "The History of Childbirth"

Home

More Articles on the History of Childbirth:
Pregnancy and Childbirth for the Historical Author
Birth - History Of Childbirth

New! Comments