Nimal Jayawardhana wrote:
>
> >On Thu, 11 Sep 1997, Nalo Hopkinson wrote:
> >
> >> ...For instance, at one point a doctor forbids a perfectly healthy,
> active woman
> >> with a normal pregnancy from exercising until her pregnancy is over.
> >nalo
>
> >...Wasn't it typical of Victorian medical idiocy (at least as applied to
> >women of the middle and upper classes) to treat even a healthy
> >pregnancy as if it were a severe illness and attempt to severely curtail
> >the woman's lifestyle?
> >
> >Mike
>
> I think you are correct Mike, wasn't this the time when midwifes were
> condemned as witches and the men who specialised in women's pregnancies were
> not allowed to llok at their cunts as it was another man's property. Let's
> face it this was a time when people had very little idea about the strength
> of women's minds or bodies! I don't suppose any of you havwe read "Fanny"
> by Erica Jong? I'm so glad I stumbled upon it on my brother's bookshelf it
> led me towards "Fear of Flying" and "How to Save your Own Life" two
> extremely important books. In "Fanny" there are some interesting parts
> about witches, midwives and related topics.
>
> Salutations |\| | |\/| ~8>P
Hello,
Adrienne Rich's OF WOMAN BORN looks at this time period and the
evolution of attitudes towards women's pregnant and birthing bodies...
luz
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