Try to think back: how many times have you read a JAFF story where someone gives birth? In those stories, was a midwife involved in the delivery, or did a doctor make the catch?
Not long ago I picked up a book that readers of Jane Austen fan fiction would be sure to love: A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to improve their understanding of medicine, the role of women, and just general life in the regency period. Martha Ballard lived in New England, but so many things described in her diary also apply to the world of Jane Austen!
For example, take the role of midwives in childbirth. Most births were attended by a midwife, not a doctor, especially if the expectant mother was from a middle class or poor family. There was no formal training system for midwives; they learned their craft through an informal apprenticeship with an established midwife. A young woman, either married or single, would usually start assisting the local midwife during deliveries and work herself into the role, learning as she went and eventually replacing the older woman. In her lifetime, Martha Ballard assisted with the delivery of over 800 children.
But midwives were not limited to helping with deliveries. They provided pre and post natal care as well, and also helped with general infections and “women’s complaints.” They dispensed herbal remedies, cared for the sick, helped neighbors with household tasks, and sometimes even assisted with preparing bodies for burial. A midwife was a key member of the community!
Like doctors, midwives had to travel to their patients, and Martha Ballard’s diary describes traveling through conditions that would make us cringe even today. Snow, ice, swollen rivers, and dangerous thunderstorms were all a part of the job and were dutifully recorded. Sometimes Martha even made these treacherous journeys while she herself was pregnant!
One of the most interesting parts of Martha’s journal, for me, involved how she was paid. Let’s say that a patient’s family had no cash but did have a large credit built up at the local center of trade. For example, if the farmer had sold eggs, barley and honey to the local store over the past month they might have forty shillings of credit with the store. They could write out a note to the store directing the store owner to transfer ten of those shillings to Martha’s name instead. Martha had quite a chore keeping track of who had paid her what amount, and in what form. When she had a large credit with the store, she might also sign over some of her credit to pay debts to still another person. The shopkeeper and everyone involved had to track these transfers carefully. It was eye opening to see this early form of banking at work.
Another interesting part of the diary was the number of babies Martha delivered who were conceived out of wedlock—perhaps as high as fifteen percent. The society of the day seemed to be less concerned with when a child was conceived and more concerned with making sure two parents were around to support it after it was born. Sometimes, if the alleged father proved reluctant to take responsibility for his offspring, Martha might become involved with legal proceedings to help establish paternity. In those cases, Martha’s records of the mother’s living arrangements and other details were taken seriously and were used in court to establish support for the mother and child.
Reading this book, I couldn’t help thinking how all of these rich details might be incorporated into a JAFF based story. Imagine, for example, that Charlotte Lucas opts to train as a midwife rather than marry Mr. Collins. How would that affect her standing in the community? Perhaps a married Elizabeth Darcy is having difficulty delivering her first child, and the midwife she trusts argues with the doctor that Darcy insists on bringing into the delivery room. I would love a scene where Wickham denies being the father of Lydia’s child but a midwife steps forward with evidence that even he cannot deny! The possibilities are endless.
Did any of this information about midwives surprise you? How can you picture a midwife being involved in a Jane Austen story? I’d love to hear your ideas! Please leave your thoughts below!
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