Giving Birth in Eighteenth-Century England

This fascinating new book radically rewrites all that we
know about eighteenth-century childbirth by placing women's voices at the centre
of the story. From quickening through to confinement, giving
caudle, delivery and lying-in, birth was once a complex
ritual that involved entire communities. Drawing on an extensive and
under-researched body of materials, such as letters, diaries and recipe books,
this book offers critical new perspectives on the history of the family and community.
It explores the rituals of childbirth, from birthing clothing to the foods
traditionally eaten before and after birth, and also how a woman's relationship
with her family, husband, friends and neighbours changed during pregnancy and
beyond. In this important and deeply moving study, we are invited on a detailed
and emotive journey through motherhood in an age of immense intellectual and sociocultural
change.