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分娩 |
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歷史記載
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現代醫學進步之前的分娩
甚至於在現代早期，由於各種有意的社會阻礙，婦女仍然對自身的身體功能一無所知。人類生殖的所有話題曾經是禁忌，性器官曾經被認為是骯髒的。確確實實，人們那時甚至回避看到自己的裸體，把受精、妊娠和分娩看作是隱晦和危險的神秘事物。其結果是許多婦女害怕成為母親——她們從確切或嚴格的意義上完全不接觸與自己身體相關的任何知識。
在那個年代，分娩可能是非常壓抑的、不體面的和危險的經歷。例如，人們普遍認為婦女一定會忍受她們生育孩子的痛楚，並且也認為這種苦楚對她們來說是一件好事，因為痛苦會強化她們做母親的感觸。人們認為婦女在分娩中扮演一個完全被動的角色。因為她們不理解分娩過程，所以幾乎不知道分娩中究竟在自己身上發生了什麼。此外，家居和醫院不衛生的條件使得產婦和新生兒處於嚴重的感染危險之中。因而，許多產婦死于產床上，許多新生兒在生下數周就從未倖存下來。 |
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分娩的有關歷史插圖。（左）中世紀晚期：愷撒切割（剖腹產）；（右）18世紀：説明接生的產婆。
Historical illustrations of birth.
(Left) Late middle ages:
A Cesarian
section.
(Right) 18th century: Midwife helping in the delivery.
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Birth |
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Historical Notes
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Childbirth before the Advances of Modern Medicine
Even in early modern times, women were still deliberately kept ignorant about their own body functions. The entire subject of human reproduction was taboo. Sex organs were considered dirty. Indeed, people were not even supposed to look at themselves in the nude. Conception, pregnancy, and birth were dark and threatening mysteries. As a result, many women were afraid of becoming mothers-they were literally out of touch with their bodies.
In those days, childbirth could be a very depressing, degrading, and dangerous experience. For example, it was widely believed that a woman was destined to bear her children in pain and that such suffering was good for her since it would increase her motherly feelings. She was expected to play a completely passive role. As she had no understanding of the process of birth, she hardly knew what was happening to her. Furthermore, unsanitary conditions in homes and hospitals exposed mothers and their babies to serious infections. Thus, many women died in childbed, and many infants never survived the first few weeks of their lives. |
