By Reading Thomas Chamberlayne’s 1656 publication, The Compleat Midwifes Practice, that shared the knowledge and case notes of Louise Bourgeois, a French Royal midwife, there are numerous cases of women experiencing physical problems related to birth. One of these cases reveals that the problems women faced were not always the result of the birth process itself, but complications created by past physical trauma and in particular by domestic violence.
Gender Concealed: How to get a boy in the early modern era
Gender reveal parties, which started some time in the 2000s, have become increasingly elaborate and Instagram worthy. Some excessive stunts have even caused raging wildfires. When I was younger these parties weren’t around but I do remember old wives tales of practices that were supposed to reveal the gender of
By Midwives and Gossips
Tuesday 5 May 2020 is International Day of the Midwife, which falls during the World Health Organisation’s Year of the Nurse and Midwife making it a double celebration. Midwifery and childbirth is something we’ve discussed a few times on this blog, but did you know Sara has just published her
As Many Babies as Days in a Year
The Countess Margaret of Henneberg and her 365 children. On 19 May 1660 while waiting to escort Charles II back to England, diarist Samuel Pepys made a visit to Loosdiunen in Holland, close to The Hague where the exiled court resided. The reason was to see the place where a
Indispensable Midwives?
A Post in Honour of International Day of the Midwife 5 May 2018 is International Day of the Midwife and we’re sure not many women would want to give birth without the calm reassurance and expertise of a midwife. They were clearly indispensable to many early modern women as well.