(I would like to state that I wrestled for some time with writing this “blog post,” as I am a writer and I have a great interest in midwifery history. This time around with this topic, I became dissatisfied about how much midwifery is usually presented and defined by its opposition to doctors, the medical system, etc. Midwifery has its own glorious, stand-alone history, our own errors and mistakes that we rarely own up to, and I eventually decided to leave out almost entirely the history of medicine, doctor
A very brief overview of midwifery in early America through today:
America has a rich history of midwifery care, though much of it is not recorded. The colonists brought midwives among themselves, and later, midwives were also brought among the slaves and immigrants. Knowledge and skills surrounding helping women in childbirth were passed on orally and in hands-on apprenticeship training. Few women were taught to read and write. Some midwives we know about (because of extant writings) are Bridget Lee Fuller, Anne Hutchison, and Martha Ballard.