In this three-part series, we explore the significant impact of childbirth on women throughout history. Topics covered ...

Despite what some natural birth enthusiasts might imply, there was never a time when women gave birth without pain, according to this eloquent account from historian Inglis (Milk of Paradise).

Some early hand-cranked saws driven by chains were invented in the 18th century for the "symphysiotomy and excision of diseased bone respectively." In some cases, these saws were used to break through ...

If you time-traveled to a city in the 18 th or early 19 th century, a lot of society might seem different. If you were pregnant today, you would look for those wordless blue signs that signify ...

When a complication or emergency arose, like an obstructed birth, there were few surgical options or obstetricians to intervene. The first instruments and procedures introduced to help deliver babies ...

I confess in 2026 that until I read recently Claire Tomalin ‘s biography “Jane Austen: A Life”, I had no idea that a woman might be perceived as a “poor animal” who was just “another casualty” of too ...