The next meeting of the Research Group will take place on Wednesday 17 February 2016 at the Lit and Phil Library in Newcastle upon Tyne between 6.00 pm and 7.30 pm. Dr Tricia Cresswell, Public Health doctor and MA student in Creative Writing at Newcastle University, will present a paper and lead a discussion on:
Midwifery in the Nineteenth Century: Men, Microbes and Misrepresentation
A brief overview will be presented covering the emerging understanding (or not) of maternal mortality in the nineteenth century and approaches to reducing death in childbirth. The impact of the male midwife/surgical obstetrician/general practitioner on the traditional practice of female midwifery in England will be considered alongside the impact of the professionalisation of childbirth. Reference will be made to colonial myths about childbirth originating in Canada as an example of wider cultural influences on practice. The portrayal of childbirth in nineteenth century novels will then be discussed.
Those attending may wish to bring along a short reading about childbirth from a novel set or written in the nineteenth century.
Everyone welcome; refreshments provided.
