A Midwifes Diary----thematic question 2

Midwifes in the late 18th early 19th century had many different obligations to their communities. They had to administer medicine, heal wounds, help women through pregnancies, and help get those who passed, ready for burial. Their were few Midwifes that were successful and well known in a community. They were also great friends, and helped their neighbors through their toughest times of sickness, and death.

Finding out what was wrong and then helping to make it better, was a major midwife role. They were like female doctors, checking up, looking over and helping out, when someone was sick. Administering herbs and medicines when necessary, and sitting up with them until they were well, along with checking up on them after she has left them with family.

Pregnancies’ could be fatal back then, and it was the midwifes job, to make sure that the pregnancies would go as smooth as possible. They were there to make sure the mother was comfortable and the baby was delivered safe. If there was any problem, the midwife was there to make sure there was no casualties. She would record the birth, and make sure to check up on the mother and infant after a few weeks.

Midwifes were just like nurses or doctors, called on if someone fell out of a tree, or if someone had a rash or if someone was “unwell”. From daily visits, to house calls, to overnighters, a midwife was the main set of medical help in every community. They were friends, and neighbors, and well known.

If it came to the worst, midwifes would prepare a body for burial. They would lay out the clothes, cover any sores and wounds, and lay them out in the caskets. That was the hardest part of their job, was losing another person. Losing a kid was the worst, and not only would she have to deal with the emotional outcome of herself, she would have to consult the family of the lost loved on.

A midwife was very valuable in the 18th century. It didn’t matter if it was a little scrape, or a broken bone. It didn’t matter if it was scarlet fever, or the chicken pox, a midwife would make house calls in the middle of the night, to make sure a patient made it through. They wouldn’t just prescribe a pill, and say take these and you’ll be healed. It took skill and practice to become good at this profession.