HARD LABOUR: Childbirth in the time of Jane Austen with Cheryl Calwell

Calwell will discuss the birthing practices of the time, touching on the traditions around childbirth, the social and medical context, and the reasons why childbirth, in ‘at risk’ cases, was so dangerous to mother and baby, and why it is significantly safer today. The talk will make reference to the letters of Jane Austen and other sources for contemporary accounts.

Cheryl Calwell is a past President of the Jane Austen Society of Melbourne. She is a registered midwife, currently working in the field of Maternal and Child Health. She is also a Marriage Celebrant and hopes to develop and diversify her celebrancy career in retirement.