The Wonders of Childbirth: Giving Life between the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period

Childbirth has long been a subject that defies easy historical investigation - elusive, painful, enveloped in modesty and mystery, and resistant to disclosure. This book outlines how childbirth was described and represented in the West from the Middle Ages through the early modern period to the seventeenth century, before the medicalisation of obstetrical practice and the emergence of clinics.Drawing on a wide and varied body of sources - including medical, legal, religious, and literary texts - the author reconstructs the practices associated with women in labour. As the focal point of collective attention, the parturient was surrounded by other women - midwives, relatives, and neighbours - reflecting the strong female solidarity fostered by childbirth, while also being attended by men such as her husband, a priest, and, in later periods, a surgeon. Adopting a broad diachronic perspective, the book highlights both elements of long-term continuity and the most significant changes in the early modern period.The book is intended for a wide readership, while also serving the interests of scholars and students. Beyond those concerned with the history of childbirth, midwifery and women, it will be relevant to readers engaged in the history of medicine, cultural anthropology and cultural history.

About the Author

Alessandra Foscati is Professor of the History of Medicine at UniCamillus - International University of Health and Medical Sciences in Rome, Italy. She obtained her PhD in medieval history at the University of Bologna, Italy. Her research focuses mainly on two areas: the history of childbirth between the Middle Ages and the early modern period, with particular attention to caesarean section, and the study of the lexicon of disease and its semantic transformations, primarily in the Middle Ages. She has published books, essays, and articles in Italian and other languages.