Tara Mulder, "A Womb of One's Own: Lost Histories of Childbirth in Ancient Rome" (U California Press, 2026)

About this episode

Tara Mulder discusses the historical shift in childbirth practices in ancient Rome and the impact of male doctors on midwifery.

In the well-trod history of the Roman Empire, a pivotal moment has long gone unnoticed: It was in ancient Rome that medical men first set their sights on childbirth, the traditional domain of female midwives.Taking us to the dawn of Western obstetrics, A Womb of One's Own: Lost Histories of Childbirth in Ancient Rome (U California Press, 2026) by Dr. Tara Mulder offers a feminist account of how, against a long tradition of midwifery, male doctors began claiming authority in reproductive matters, with an emphasis on theoretical rather than practical knowledge. Their intrusion paved the way for the later criminalization of midwives and the cloaking of childbirth in secrecy and shame.Yet communities of Roman women continued to help each other through the journey from preconception to postpartum, guided by their own experience and the expertise of midwives. Tara Mulder recovers stories of ancient women living and resisting as they sought autonomy over their bodies and their health. Recounting their experiences in vivid, intimate detail, she reveals how old our modern conflicts about birth truly are. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose book focuses on…

People in this episode

Host: Miranda Melcher

Guest: Tara Mulder

Topics covered

• childbirth
• ancient Rome
• feminist history
• midwifery
• obstetrics
• women's autonomy

Keywords

• childbirth
• midwives
• Roman Empire
• feminism
• obstetrics
• women's health
• history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: U California Press

Places: Ancient Rome

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