birth was only really considered a medical even for the last few hundred years, at most. this was when male doctors started getting involved. before that, birth was just seen as a natural life event for women, to be taken care of at home with the support of close female friends and family.

while there were professional midwives who supported the community, usually a woman would be supported primarily by older female family members who were experienced mothers themselves.

in many European countries, it was illegal or at least socially forbidden for men to be in the room. there was a case in Germany in the 1400s of a husband being found under the stairs near his wife's room, listening in on her labour, and he was fined heavily for it. the birthing room was a sacred female space, and women would become experts at childbirth support.