After his new wife’s premature death in 1797 following the birth of her second, and their first child Mary, William Godwin wrote Memoirs of the Author of The Vindication of the Rights of Women in 1798. Read along with me the final chapter in which he documents the ten days […]
This is the first of a two parter exploring the life and times of Jane Austen with relation to pregnancy birth and mothering. In this series I combine the popular culture, scientific developments and politics, along with the family’s letters and Jane’s novels to gain a better understanding of what […]
What qualified as a natural birth in the 16th century? In this post, we look at what the Birth of Mankind, from 1540, had to say about a natural birth in the Tudor Era including birthing positions, recipes for potions, pessaries, vaginal incense, pain relieving lubricants, herbal baths with toxic heavy metals, as well as what kind of diet and exercise the Tudor woman should have in later pregnancy and during labor.
The frequently misrepresented sketch of a Ugandan woman’s surgical delivery, in 1879, as witnessed and recorded by Robert W. Felkin and presented to the Edinburgh Obstetrical Society in 1884.
Learn more about the first book in English on pregnancy, birth, and newborn care: The Byrth of Mankynde, 1540.
Learn about the humoral theory and it’s ideas about pregnancy, birth, and infant care including breastfeeding.
Scribonia Attice was a midwife in ancient Rome; a well-respected professional who considered herself the equal of her husband, a surgeon.
While ideas about what constitutes a healthy menu plan have certainly changed; cocoa being delicious and nutritious is eternal.
What?! An unnamed group invented modern c-sections CENTURIES before anyone else? Wow! Thank gawd for an unverified Facebook post or no one would know the TRUTH!
Okay, so newborns are effectively needy hot water bottles. But instead of looking at their helplessness at birth as a negative thing, we should consider the benefits.
