History of Midwifery and Licensure - Page 2

[applejuice]

Originally Posted by [e-mail]

... I think those are the reasons why midwives are so often the focus of both prosecution and of regulatory efforts, while other "alternative" providers tend to be left alone....

Very true. If one thinks of the witch trials that took place in Europe and in the early days of this country, and one knows that these 'witches' were midwives, alot of things fall into focus in the historical context. The "men" who killed them also wrote the account of their crimes. Midwives/witches deal with issues of life-death-birth as part of their daily practice, and this is why midwives were respected and feared at almost the same time.

Most midwives were women who had raised their own family and learned the practice of midwifery from other midwives in the community. Midwives helped with routine illnesses along with personal problems in the communities they lived in. Their expertise was not from universities, but from the school of life and life experience.

[Alison Cole]

Thanks for this thread, and for the detailed responces offered. There's so much more to learn about in getting my midwifery education that how to care for pregnant and birthing moms and babies.