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Midwives in America: A History [S-11-34]

By the mid-twentieth century, the vast majority of American women gave birth with physicians in hospitals, but that had not always been the case. This course provides a history of midwifery in America and its implications for the future. In particular, the course will explore the intersection between changing trends in childbirth practices, health care, and the place of women in American society.

A history professor at Clarkson University, Laura Ettinger teaches courses on American women’s history, the history of medicine, and family history. She published a book titled Nurse-Midwifery: The Birth of a New American Profession (Ohio State University Press).