In part one of this series, I covered the reproductive history and childcare strategies of Jane Austen’s parents. In this 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 physiological and […]
Check out An Address to Pregnant Women at the Wellcome Collection
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 […]
Learn more about the first book in English on pregnancy, birth, and newborn care: The Byrth of Mankynde, 1540.
Urine is a used for pregnancy tests now… and in 17th century Europe.
Learn about the humoral theory and it’s ideas about pregnancy, birth, and infant care including breastfeeding.
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.
So you’re an obstetrician in the early 20th century. You want to expand your practice to include all pregnancies and births, not just the high risk ones (but not those of black women, oh no!) So you gather up some sexist and racist drivel and viola! The Obstetrical Dilemma is born… and it’s killing women to this day.
