✣ Birthing Chairs have been used as birthing aids throughout history.Indeed, maintaining an upright position during labour and birth is now a World Health Organization recommendation as it reduces the number of instrumental interventions.

✣ Join us for a day of discussion and papers on the role of the birthing chair, and other props and aids to births in history. A chance to examine an authentic 17th Century continental birthing chair from the main exhibition at the Centre, and an opportunity to suggest edits to the Wikipedia ‘Birthing Chair’ page.

Civil War Centre, Newark, NG24 1JY

28 February 2020, 10.30 – 16.00

FREE to attend (including lunch and refreshments): places limited

Speakers include:

✣ Janette Allotey (Chair of the De Partu History of Midwifery Group):

‘Modern to postmodern birthing positions: from upright to stranded beetle position ... and back again?’

✣ Terri Coates (Clinical Editor for the BBC Call the Midwife Series): ‘Midwifery on the Small Screen: The Representation of Labour in Popular Culture’

✣ Sarah Fox (University of Manchester): ‘“Groaning”, “grunting”, and “grumbling”: women's experiences of giving birth in 18thC England'

✣ Catie Gill (Loughborough University): ‘Editing Wikipedia to improve public access to women’s history’

✣ Sara Read (Loughborough University): ‘“She Should Walk Easily in her Chamber’”: Midwifery, Birthing Stools, and Active Labours in the 17th Century’