tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16981893.post2661759435777104956..comments2024-03-28T15:16:29.965-05:00Comments on Tudor Q and A: Question from Elizabeth M - Birthing methodsLarahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16630629272030282584noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16981893.post-3081367838710118682008-12-14T19:01:00.000-06:002008-12-14T19:01:00.000-06:00The overwhelming majority of women in the Tudor pe...The overwhelming majority of women in the Tudor period were members of families that could not usually afford specialized furniture such as "groaning chairs" and birthing stools. They instead gave birth wherever was most comfortable, usually in a bed. However, squatting was a common position for laboring before the actual birth. <BR/><BR/>In larger communities where midwives were present, the midwife might own a birthing chair and carry it to the laboring woman. Many surviving examples of the chairs are actually quite compact and lightweight. You can see examples of them by doing a Google Images search under the keywords "Birthing chair." Many of them did indeed have handles for the laboring mother to hold on to, but no stirrups.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com