Birth

Historical Notes

Delivery chair. In the past, chairs like this with a carved-out seat were used widely in Europe. They allowed women to give birth in a sitting position .

Today, there are many modern methods of childbirth, but the goal is always the same: transforming the birth of a baby from a numbing, passive experience into a conscious achievement. More and more often men also demand to contribute to this achievement by giving support to their women, and hospitals often encourage expectant fathers to remain present throughout the entire process. Childbirth preparation classes for both men and women are offered by many doctors, hospitals, and educational groups. This kind of joint parental instruction often brings the partners much closer together and, in fact, can be seen as a very desirable part of responsible parenthood.

This was not always the case. Indeed, as the few following historical notes will show, modern childbirth is the result of a series of medical advances that were not always easily achieved.