The Birthing Room, the Father's Role

It didn't depend on your class. It depended on availability, who was around. In big towns you might have three or four midwives - in a small town there might just be one. Even under a midi physician's supervision, tht would be the midwife who delivered the infant. So this does sound like it was very much a woman's world. Was the father's role? Were they ever allowed in the room? Not really. The labouring woman and her group of friends her gossips, as they were called, supported her. And so very much. Also looking after the children and keeping things going, because a lot of fun people worked at home in cottage