Why do women give birth lying on their backs? The weird fetish behind the change in the course of gynecology
Is the fetish of a male king to blame for the way most women give birth nowadays?
When we think a woman giving birth, there’s a common image that flashes to mind: a red-faced female lying on a hospital bed with her legs in stirrups. That’s what’s depicted in every type of media and most likely, the position your mom was in when she brought you into this world.
However, there are little to no advantages to giving birth on our backs. Because of the way our pelvis is, this position causes labor to be a little bit longer and slows contractions.
One might then wonder why this position that goes against our natural biology is the standard. Here’s the thing: it hasn’t always been.
Before the 17th century, it was very common for women to give birth on all fours, squatting kneeling or even standing. All these positions make the pelvic outlet become wider, thereby shortening labor.
There’s evidence of birthing stools and chairs that date back to Babylonian times. Other early records of labor include an ancient sculpture from Egypt that shows Cleopatra kneeling down to give birth, surrounded by five attendants.
So then, what happened in the 17th century that changed it all?
Louis XIV became king of France. Before you say anything, let me explain.
Louis XIV was a French king that ruled France from 1643 to 1715. He had 22 children with his wives and mistresses, and according to legend (and a handful of medical scholars), he had a strong kink for watching women give birth.
Louis XIV became frustrated by the obscured view when birth occurred on birthing stool, so he would ask his wives and mistresses to lay on their backs so that he could have a better view and thus indulge in his kink. Next thing you know, we’re still doing it to this very day.
We don’t know till which extent King Louis’ fetish influenced the way women give birth today, but given that his demand for change coincided with the changing of the position, and knowing that at the time the lower classes reportedly began to adopt the practice to follow suit (the behavior of royalty had a big impact on populace), it is very possible that it might have been a contributing influence.
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