Midwifery History Presentation
December 10, 2014
Students were assigned to create a 15- minute presentation on the chosen era of midwifery history to present to their peers. The presentation was required to include the following:
a. Cultural perceptions of birth at the time
b. The experience of midwives of color in this era. (If midwives of color were not presented in the tex, consider outside research to address this question, and address possible reasons as to their absence in the text.)
c. The role and value of the midwife in society
d. What this time period of midwifery history can teach us about how midwifery is viewed/valued today
a. Cultural perceptions of birth at the time
b. The experience of midwives of color in this era. (If midwives of color were not presented in the tex, consider outside research to address this question, and address possible reasons as to their absence in the text.)
c. The role and value of the midwife in society
d. What this time period of midwifery history can teach us about how midwifery is viewed/valued today
I began this course with the intention of getting an easy class out of the way while I worked on weightier subjects.
I have since grown to love the writings of midwives in the era I have chosen to cover 1700 - 1899.
The depiction of Martha Ballard narrated by the author of A Midwife’s Tale, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, the PBS series American Experience was my first introduction to the lives of midwives during this era. I wept as I watched her story with sympathy for what she went through. She is about my age when the diary opens and is described by the historian who brought her story to life as a good neighbor. Of the era Laurel says, “you were never alone in times of illness.”
Martha acted in the office of physician, pharmacist, and nurse as well as her work as a midwife.
I have since grown to love the writings of midwives in the era I have chosen to cover 1700 - 1899.
The depiction of Martha Ballard narrated by the author of A Midwife’s Tale, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, the PBS series American Experience was my first introduction to the lives of midwives during this era. I wept as I watched her story with sympathy for what she went through. She is about my age when the diary opens and is described by the historian who brought her story to life as a good neighbor. Of the era Laurel says, “you were never alone in times of illness.”
Martha acted in the office of physician, pharmacist, and nurse as well as her work as a midwife.
Her duties as a midwife are accompanied by untold hours working in the garden, spinning thread, caring for animals, cooking, baking and washing sometimes with the help of her children and sometimes with hired help. The saddest times are during the years when she works alone, her husband in prison and her children grown, she wants for wood to heat her home.
In addition to catching babies, midwives, as part of the judicial system in the 18th century, took declarations of paternity from mothers at the height of their labors.
Martha was also trusted to observe autopsies and often prepared the dead for burial.
In addition to catching babies, midwives, as part of the judicial system in the 18th century, took declarations of paternity from mothers at the height of their labors.
Martha was also trusted to observe autopsies and often prepared the dead for burial.
In her diary she writes...
For her work Martha is paid rather well. Midwifery is the best paid occupation for women of her day. In her diary she writes, “Mr. Brown gave me 9 and 4 for my performance.” I calculated the purchasing power of the British Pound and the exchange rate to U.S. Dollars earned her a nice payment that day. This was only payment for attending the birth as no records indicate that she attended women as we do today with regular prenatal or postpartum visits.
Martha also traded linen fabric woven by her daughter and later the women she employed. A system of bartering is also evident in her diary. She did not always receive the same amount at each birth and was paid rather poorly by some.
Martha also traded linen fabric woven by her daughter and later the women she employed. A system of bartering is also evident in her diary. She did not always receive the same amount at each birth and was paid rather poorly by some.
The specifics of her work is in the daily logs but this is not the only important information in Martha’s diary.
In the details we can surmise some statistics but more importantly of Martha’s diary Laurel states...
This is one of my favorite paintings of midwives.
In her work Pioneer Women: Voices From the Kansas Frontier author Joanna Stratton writes...
Midwives of color were not especially noted in Martha Ballard’s diary. I don’t believe this to be an omission of oppression, rather, Martha lived in the north where few women of color were found in her years as a midwife recording in her diary.
I did find a very notable midwife of color from this era. Biddy was born into slavery on a plantation in Georgia. She was separated from her parents while still very young. She learned midwifery and healing skills from other African slaves. She was eventually sold with her two year old daughter to Robert Marion Smith and Rebecca Crosby by whom she was taken to arrive in California where her skills as a midwife likely gave her confidence to leave her owner and seek her own destiny.
Biddy served as a midwife to both white and slave mothers on the trip but later in California she was hired by a local doctor as a midwife. She carefully saved her money eventually becoming the first African American woman to buy land in Los Angeles. Not only that, she became the wealthiest African American woman in they city. She was known widely for her generosity and service to others. She donated her money to many causes, even delivering babies for free to women who could not afford her services. Even though she was illiterate she used her money from real estate investments to build an elementary school for African American children, among many other charitable ventures. She served people of all colors, socio-economic status and faiths.
I did find a very notable midwife of color from this era. Biddy was born into slavery on a plantation in Georgia. She was separated from her parents while still very young. She learned midwifery and healing skills from other African slaves. She was eventually sold with her two year old daughter to Robert Marion Smith and Rebecca Crosby by whom she was taken to arrive in California where her skills as a midwife likely gave her confidence to leave her owner and seek her own destiny.
Biddy served as a midwife to both white and slave mothers on the trip but later in California she was hired by a local doctor as a midwife. She carefully saved her money eventually becoming the first African American woman to buy land in Los Angeles. Not only that, she became the wealthiest African American woman in they city. She was known widely for her generosity and service to others. She donated her money to many causes, even delivering babies for free to women who could not afford her services. Even though she was illiterate she used her money from real estate investments to build an elementary school for African American children, among many other charitable ventures. She served people of all colors, socio-economic status and faiths.
Her great granddaughter, Gladys Owens Smith, quoted Biddy as saying,..
Into the later part of the era I studied we meet...
You may ask why I have included a physician in a presentation about midwifery.
While she was a student she recorded in her journal: “Last night I wrote down my work for today which is as follows: rise at four in the morning, dress, make a fire, sweep, wash in cold water, comb my hair, clean my teeth. Write a few lines in my journal. Write a letter to Grandmother. Read a chapter in Dr. Bunn on health. Read a few extracts from Johnson. Dress the children, make bed, sweep, dust and prepare my room for the breakfast table. Breakfast at nine. Sew on the machine until three—dinner hour. After dinner call on Sister Jones, who is sick. Wash and prepare the children for bed; from six till eight, knit or do some other light work. Review my actions for the day—offer my devotions to heaven and retire at nine.” She sounds like many of our fellow students!
While she was a student she recorded in her journal: “Last night I wrote down my work for today which is as follows: rise at four in the morning, dress, make a fire, sweep, wash in cold water, comb my hair, clean my teeth. Write a few lines in my journal. Write a letter to Grandmother. Read a chapter in Dr. Bunn on health. Read a few extracts from Johnson. Dress the children, make bed, sweep, dust and prepare my room for the breakfast table. Breakfast at nine. Sew on the machine until three—dinner hour. After dinner call on Sister Jones, who is sick. Wash and prepare the children for bed; from six till eight, knit or do some other light work. Review my actions for the day—offer my devotions to heaven and retire at nine.” She sounds like many of our fellow students!
This depiction of a midwife by artist Vincent Van Gogh comes during the Impressionists’ era when painters and artists turned to conveying the feeling and ideas behind people, places, and things rather than trying to imitate their physical forms.
Wouldn't it be best if when future generations of midwives study our day they can have an accurate picture instead of just an impression. Of history Laurel Thatcher Ulrich states, “Without documents there is no history and women left very few documents.” I hope it this is not so of our day.
Wouldn't it be best if when future generations of midwives study our day they can have an accurate picture instead of just an impression. Of history Laurel Thatcher Ulrich states, “Without documents there is no history and women left very few documents.” I hope it this is not so of our day.
References:
Black History Month: Bridget “Biddy” Mason, Mormon Midwife ... (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2014, from http://thegiftofgivinglife.com/black-history-month-bridget-biddy-mason-mormon-midwife/
Entz, L. (Painter). (2006). The Midwife [Painting, Oil on Canvas, Online digital image]. Retrieved from http://www.lorenentz.com/collections/paintings/products/the-midwife
Kahn-Leavitt, L. (Writer), & Rogers, R. P. (Director). (January 19, 1998). A Midwife's Tale [Television series episode]. In J. Crichton, M. Drain, R Eaton and L. Kahn-Leavitt (Producers), American Experience. Washington, DC: Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Martha Ballard's Diary, Dec. 9-16, 1785 (T). (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2014, from http://dohistory.org/diary/1785/12/17851209_txt.html
Measuring Worth - Purchasing Power of Pound. (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2014, from http://www.measuringworth.com/ppoweruk/
Shipp, E. R. (1985). While others slept: Autobiography and journal of Ellis Reynolds Shipp. Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft.
Ulrich, L. T. (1990). A midwife's tale: The life of Martha Ballard, based on her diary, 1785-1812. New York: Knopf.
Unknown Photographer. (ca. 1856). Bridget "Biddy" Mason [Online digital image]. Retrieved from http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=20989
Unknown Photographer. (ca. 1878). Dr. Ellis R. Shipp [Online digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/manual/church-history-in-the-fulness-of-times-student-manual/chapter-thirty-three-a-decade-of-persecution-1877-87?lang=eng
van Gogh, V. (1885, December). Head of an Old Woman with White Cap (The Midwife) [Painting, Oil on Canvas, Online digital image]. Retrieved from http://www.vangoghgallery.com/catalog/Painting/234/Head-of-an-Old-Woman-with-White-Cap-(The-Midwife).html
Black History Month: Bridget “Biddy” Mason, Mormon Midwife ... (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2014, from http://thegiftofgivinglife.com/black-history-month-bridget-biddy-mason-mormon-midwife/
Entz, L. (Painter). (2006). The Midwife [Painting, Oil on Canvas, Online digital image]. Retrieved from http://www.lorenentz.com/collections/paintings/products/the-midwife
Kahn-Leavitt, L. (Writer), & Rogers, R. P. (Director). (January 19, 1998). A Midwife's Tale [Television series episode]. In J. Crichton, M. Drain, R Eaton and L. Kahn-Leavitt (Producers), American Experience. Washington, DC: Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
Martha Ballard's Diary, Dec. 9-16, 1785 (T). (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2014, from http://dohistory.org/diary/1785/12/17851209_txt.html
Measuring Worth - Purchasing Power of Pound. (n.d.). Retrieved December 10, 2014, from http://www.measuringworth.com/ppoweruk/
Shipp, E. R. (1985). While others slept: Autobiography and journal of Ellis Reynolds Shipp. Salt Lake City, UT: Bookcraft.
Ulrich, L. T. (1990). A midwife's tale: The life of Martha Ballard, based on her diary, 1785-1812. New York: Knopf.
Unknown Photographer. (ca. 1856). Bridget "Biddy" Mason [Online digital image]. Retrieved from http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=20989
Unknown Photographer. (ca. 1878). Dr. Ellis R. Shipp [Online digital image]. Retrieved from https://www.lds.org/manual/church-history-in-the-fulness-of-times-student-manual/chapter-thirty-three-a-decade-of-persecution-1877-87?lang=eng
van Gogh, V. (1885, December). Head of an Old Woman with White Cap (The Midwife) [Painting, Oil on Canvas, Online digital image]. Retrieved from http://www.vangoghgallery.com/catalog/Painting/234/Head-of-an-Old-Woman-with-White-Cap-(The-Midwife).html
Reflection
Reading the above presentation is not as fun as participating in a live session or watching a recording (at least). It is a little difficult to communicate the enthusiasm I feel about keeping a proper history of the work that midwives are doing. You will recall from the Beyond Midwifery page that I dabble in a bit of genealogy. I am sure I developed the love of family history from listening to my Aunt Marian as she shared the stories of our ancestors. I am devastated that we never wrote them down. I hope I can remember even half of what she shared with me growing up. This assignment and class began a quest for me to record the events of my own life. Especially as it pertains to the process of becoming a midwife. This has been a great source of satisfaction for me personally and has also been paramount in creating this ePortfolio. History is not made by well-behaved women says Laurel Ulrich Thatcher, (the exact quote is "Well-behaved women seldom make history" from her academic paper in the journal “American Quarterly” in 1976, read it here: http://www.jstor.org/stable/2712475?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents). Since completing this course I feel ever more inspired to become one of the well-behaved women who does make history, at least a written record of it.
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