Giving Birth in Chile, 19th Century
From “Womankind Science” to Obstetrics

Who, how, and where women were assisted at the moment of giving birth in nineteenth-century Chile are the central questions of this study. At the time, healthcare assistance during childbirth became a growing social and medical concern that inspired two parallel and gradual transformations: the increase in scientific control over childbirth and the reduction of the influence of folkloric aspects and popular medical practices linked to it. By examining childbirth assistance, this study contributes to a comprehensive understanding of a social event of substantive implication not only for the female population but for Chilean society as a whole.