Women have been laying down to give birth since the 17th century. There are a few reasons why that dates back to the 17th century. One reason is that it is more convenient for doctors to treat them as patients if they’re laying down and laying still. In the 17th century, it was said that the position was used so that onlookers could have a better look at the birthing process. This process continues because woman have had to be hooked up to several machines while giving birth, and this is best done while laying still.

Key Takeaways:

• One reason why women lay down to give birth is because early on they couldn’t get up because of epidurals and heart monitoring for the fetus.
• When forceps were first created, the inventors had the women lay down as a way to prevent them from seeing the tool they used to help them give birth.
• The World Health Organization says that if a women doesn’t have an epidural she should stay in whatever birth position she’s most comfortable in.

“When midwives assisted the majority of births, medical professionals were only called in for emergencies. Within the medical community, these surgeons were viewed as lower class practitioners.”

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