Day 59 #100DaysOfOldDays

Imagine what it was like for women giving birth before there was gas and air, tens machines, epidural, antibiotics, the anti-D injection, c-section—sometimes elective—and all other types of pain relief that’s available today. Did prenatal care exist a hundred years ago? 

Up until the late 18^th century a midwife had complete control of assisting women in childbirth. Male doctors had little to no knowledge of the process involved during labour.  

By the 1900’s home births with midwife assistance were still the norm, even though the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin was an established maternity hospital. You’d be a long time getting from Cork to Dublin on the ass and cart. You’d be like Mary and Joseph; stopping along the way to give birth!  

In 1914, ‘twilight sleep’ was a pain relief method that involved anaesthetising the mother with morphine and scopolamine. It was a popular choice by women because it put them to sleep during the whole labour. The problem was there was a high risk of haemorrhage and of the drug being transferred to the babies.  

In the 1920’s when ‘twilight sleep’ was still popular, some medical doctors believed that a natural birth was rare. Medical intervention dilated the cervix, episiotomies were performed, unnecessary forceps were used. Women in a hospital setting had no say over what drugs they were given or what procedures they were put through. ‘Twilight sleep’ phased out during the 60’s/70’s when women became more concerned about their lack of involvement in their own labour and having no recollection of giving birth. 

In the 1950’s homebirths were still widespread in Ireland but by the 60’s hospital births had become more popular. More hospitals offered maternity care and people had better access to transport. The ass and cart weren’t as much depended on as before. 

This woman’s article written in The Journal in 2019, is appalling and makes me wonder why any woman wanted to go anywhere near a hospital to have their baby. Were the midwives scarce? Did it become unacceptable to have a home birth?   

She said, ‘All the mothers were terrified of the doctors and matron, so we never asked any questions’. She gave birth in the Rotunda hospital in 1969. Read her story here! Not for the squeamish.  

Surely, we have come a long way since then!  

While all these procedures and pain relief options are available today, there’s still many women who opt for a completely natural labour; some choosing home births under the care of a midwife. 

At least women have more control over what happens to them during labour. They have more choices. And of course, the one very important thing that we do have now that was missing down through the ages, is the father’s attendance at the birth.  

Lucy drew a newborn baby today.