logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2023
42m 14s

Victorian Pregnancy & Childbirth: The Un...

History Hit
About this episode


Why did Victorian doctors recommend women to lie still in solitary confinement for days after giving birth? What was the 'sit up and cough' method of contraception? (not the most reliable) And what was the level of infant mortality in the 19th century?


Today Kate is Betwixt the Sheets with Jessica Cox to talk about the hidden history of maternal bodies in the Victorian era, everything from fertility and contraception, to labour and child loss.


You can find out more about Jessica's book here.


Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Kate Lister, Dan Snow, Suzannah Lipscomb, Lucy Worsely, Mary Beard and more.


Get 50% off your first 3 months with code BETWIXT. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.


You can take part in our listener survey here.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Nov 21
Did Henry VIII Have An Affair With Anne Boleyn's Sister?
<p>She was 'the Other Boleyn Girl' - Anne's sister, Mary, who supposedly had an affair with King Henry VIII. Such drama!</p><br><p>What evidence is there that the two got betwixt the sheets together? How likely was it?!</p><br><p>Joining Kate today is the historian and author, Es ... Show More
38m 50s
Nov 18
The Truth About Roald Dahl
<p>The Twits, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda. Roald Dahl wrote some of the world's most loved children's books.</p><br><p>But what do we know about the man himself? Was he really a spy? Was he a good husband? And why have some editions of his books been edited?</p><br ... Show More
48m 34s
Nov 14
Sex and Scandal of Medieval Royals
What did Queen Isabella of France do to deserve the nickanem She-Wolf? What sex scandals happened in the 14th century? And why did the Black Death improve peoples' sex lives?!Joining Kate today is the fantastic author and historian, Helen Carr, to take us back to this time to fin ... Show More
53m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2022
A History of Childbirth
Throughout history one thing has had more impact on women’s lives than almost anything else - giving birth to children. In this episode we will explore various aspects of this paramount and awe-inspiring process and how it has changed across cultures and through time. From how we ... Show More
51 m
Jun 2022
191. Childbirth
In today's episode, Tom and Dominic talk to Sara Read about the history of childbirth. Sara unveils the origin of the word 'gossip' and its connection to midwifery. As well as this, they discuss how someone would qualify as a midwife; the relationship between religion and childb ... Show More
47m 1s
Nov 2023
La grossesse
<p>Cette fois, ça y est : le test est positif. Déjà les premiers symptômes le laissait présager : nausées, fatigue, mal aux seins, mais cette fois, une analyse biologique vient de le confirmer, si tout se passe bien dans une trentaine de semaines, un petit bébé va naître. Scène d ... Show More
35m 18s
Dec 2021
The truth about the pill
Let's all take a moment to thank Margaret Sanger and all those who advocated for women's reproductive rights. In this episode of Thick & Thin, we travel back to the 1900s' to learn the history of a popular birth control method, otherwise known as — the pill. // Follow me on IG: i ... Show More
37m 48s
May 2023
Alexander The Great's Sex Life
<p><em>This episode contains references and words of a sexual nature.</em></p><br><p>Did Alexander the Great and the Queen of the Amazons really have sex for 13 days solid? What do we know about his male lovers? And how did his sex life stand up to that of his dad’s?</p><br><p>To ... Show More
44m 56s
Jun 2023
The First Spears
<p><br></p><p>According to the work of today's guest, Dr Annemieke Milks, humans were using spears approximately 400,000 years ago. Thanks to fragments of wooden spears incredibly well preserved at sites like Clacton-on-Sea in Essex, and Schöningen in Germany, there's now evidenc ... Show More
41m 55s
Jun 2019
The Birth Control Pill | But Can It Be Done? | S16-E1
<p>When Margaret Sanger opened her birth control clinic in 1916, she knew she was breaking the law. Distributing contraceptives, or even literature about birth control, was a jailable offense. But she didn’t care. As a nurse, Sanger had sworn to devote herself to the welfare of t ... Show More
40m 56s
Jul 2024
Victorian crime and punishment: everything you wanted to know
Could children be hanged in Victorian Britain? Were the streets of Dickensian London haunted by organised gangs, or opportunistic pickpockets? What tricks and tools did Victorian police have at their disposal? And was it possible to get a fair trial in the 19th century? In our la ... Show More
51m 4s
Apr 2022
Before Rome: The Truth About Late Iron Age Britain
<p>Roman connections with Britain stretch back to (at least) the mid 1st century BC. But what has archaeology revealed about the Late Iron Age British societies they interacted with? Do we have any concrete evidence for the druids? Was human sacrifice a thing? Sit back and enjoy ... Show More
43m 28s
Nov 2023
Mary, Queen of Scots
<p>This is the story of the incredible rise and fall of Mary, Queen of Scots. She was queen of Scotland, she was queen of France, and she could have been queen of England. She led armies, lived as a fugitive, became embroiled in love affairs and spent nearly two decades in jail.< ... Show More
41m 55s