Until the late 1800's the birthing process was strictly the domain of the mother and women called midwives. The written history of Midwifery can be traced back to ancient Egypt, 2000 years BC, and midwives certainly existed long before that.
By the middle of the 1800's, middle and upper class women ( who could afford it), including Queen Victoria of England, were seeking relief from the pain of childbirth. They began to request anaesthetics, which were already being used in surgery, such as for amputations.
At about this time, the medical branch of anaesthesiology began to grow as a speciality, but for many more years doctors and nurses administered their own anaesthetics.
By the middle of the 1800's, middle and upper class women ( who could afford it), including Queen Victoria of England, were seeking relief from the pain of childbirth. They began to request anaesthetics, which were already being used in surgery, such as for amputations.
At about this time, the medical branch of anaesthesiology began to grow as a speciality, but for many more years doctors and nurses administered their own anaesthetics.
Chloroform was used from about 1850 onward, but it could be dangerous. Ether gradually replaced chloroform. It was also dangerous, highly inflammable but considered safer than chloroform. After its discovery in 1830, scopolamine was also used in childbirth. Although it was not as powerful a sedative as the first two, its muscle relaxing and anti nausea properties were highly valued.
The dangers accompanying the use of these anaesthetics meant that women requesting them had to be hospitalized for childbirth, thus undermining the midwives and home birthing system, though home births were the norm until at least the 1930's except when complications were suspected. Still, unless hospitalization was recommended. doctors would sometimes accompany midwives or specially trained nurses to the patients home.
During the final two years of Robert's medical studies at Queen's (1904-1908), the last hours of the day were devoted to obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatrics. Throughout his medical career, he was always happiest when delivering healthy babies, usually in the mother's home. Midwifery was still considered very important in the early 1900's, and medical students were encouraged to learn from and support midwives, though the midwives themselves were not invited into the hospitals. Robert would have carried a small bottle of an anaesthetic, probably chloroform, in his bag, along with forceps, hoping that he would not have to use either.
The dangers accompanying the use of these anaesthetics meant that women requesting them had to be hospitalized for childbirth, thus undermining the midwives and home birthing system, though home births were the norm until at least the 1930's except when complications were suspected. Still, unless hospitalization was recommended. doctors would sometimes accompany midwives or specially trained nurses to the patients home.
During the final two years of Robert's medical studies at Queen's (1904-1908), the last hours of the day were devoted to obstetrics, gynaecology and paediatrics. Throughout his medical career, he was always happiest when delivering healthy babies, usually in the mother's home. Midwifery was still considered very important in the early 1900's, and medical students were encouraged to learn from and support midwives, though the midwives themselves were not invited into the hospitals. Robert would have carried a small bottle of an anaesthetic, probably chloroform, in his bag, along with forceps, hoping that he would not have to use either.
Some important information about cleanliness regarding infant and maternal mortality: In 1837, a Hungarian physician cut the death rate in his maternity clinic by over 50% by insisting that the doctors, midwives, surgical assistants and nurses wash their hands in a solution of sodium chloride before treating their patients. In 1857, on her return from the Crimea, Florence Nightingale insisted on hospital cleanliness, cutting the death rate in the general wards by half.
Learn more about this topic at:
http://ww.researchgate.net
http://ww.legacymuseum.org/midwifery
http://ww.midwiferytoday.com/articles
http://ww.ncbi.nim.gov.pubmed/22583009
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