Download or read book Women & Men Midwives written by Jane B. Donegan and published by Praeger. This book was released on 1978-07-07 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawn from sixteenth to nineteenth century records to create an account of the midwife's status, duties, and skills, the author goes on to describe the development in eighteenth-century England and America of new techniques in obstetrics that led more and more to doctors to practice as regular accoucheurs. Before this except in cases when a surgeon might be summoned, childbearing was strictly a woman's concern. The author also explores the paradox of men taking the place of midwives among the upper and middle classes in an age that placed great importance on feminine modesty.