Category: Birth
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The Weirdest Cry For Help Imaginable: Vagitus Uterinus
A baby’s first cry has always been a symbol of celebration and an assurance of good health– there’s a word for it: vagitus. Some babies may take a bit longer than others to start crying after birth but what about those who can’t even wait to get out of the uterus to start crying? This […]
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Mali’s Nonuplets | Rabbit Holes #Shorts
Sources: Ahmed, Baba and Tarik El Barakah. 5 May 2021. “Woman from Mali gives birth to 9 babies in Morocco.” AP. Chappell, Bill. 6 May 2021. “Nonuplets: Woman From Mali Gives Birth To 9 Babies.” NPR. Guenfoud, Ibtissem. 30 July 2021. “Mom speaks out about giving birth to 9 babies.” ABC News. Hanson, Kait. 30 […]
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What Did Jane Austen Think About Childbirth? | Pt 2.2
In part one of this series, I covered the reproductive history and childcare strategies of Jane Austen’s parents. Across the five installments of the second part, I will show that Jane’s attitudes about marriage were shaped– not by her desire to become a published author– but by her observations of motherhood, particularly the annual rounds […]
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Death of Mary Wollstonecraft after childbirth, by William Godwin (1798) | Primary Source Read Along
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 following the birth until her […]
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Jane Austen’s Birth | Pt 1
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 life was like for growing […]
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Natural Birth in the Tudor Era
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.
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The Byrth of Mankynde, 1540
Learn more about the first book in English on pregnancy, birth, and newborn care: The Byrth of Mankynde, 1540.
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Humoral Medicine | Pregnancy, Birth, and Breastfeeding in the Middle Ages
Learn about the humoral theory and it’s ideas about pregnancy, birth, and infant care including breastfeeding.
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Updated: Scribonia Attice, Ancient Roman Midwife
Scribonia Attice was a midwife in ancient Rome; a well-respected professional who considered herself the equal of her husband, a surgeon.
The Baby Historian 