Midwife regulation, education, and practice in The Netherlands during the nineteenth century

Abstract

Although within The Netherlands, there is a growing interest in the history of midwifery and its practitioners,2 publications in languages other than Dutch have been few and far between.3 Consequently, little is known internationally about the development of midwifery and obstetrics in Holland. In stark contrast, in other European countries and, more particularly, America, there is a large literature on midwifery and obstetrics, including studies by feminist historians, sociologists, and historians of the professions, as well as medical historians. It seems paradoxical that the United States, one of the nations where the role of the midwife has declined most significantly in the twentieth century, has also produced the largest number of major studies on midwifery and its practitioners;4 The Netherlands, recognized as one of the few wealthy Western countries where midwives still play a major role in childbirth, has produced little historical analysis.

Infant mortality in mid‐19th century Amsterdam: Religion, social class, and space

“…In the 19th century in Amsterdam (as in the rest of the Netherlands), especially, midwives played an important role in health care with respect to delivery and birth. In the 19th century, medical practitioners were organised into various groups (Van Lieburg & Marland, ) that included the nonacademically trained midwives (“vroedvrouwen”) and man‐midwives (“vroedmeesters”), as well as the academically trained doctors of obstetrics (who were also qualified as medical doctors). Midwives had to be educated for at least 1 year and then to be trained through an apprenticeship to a licensed midwife.…”

“…Midwives supervised most normal deliveries and were instructed to call in obstetric doctors or man‐midwives in difficult or dangerous cases. Although obstetric doctors and man‐midwives were trained differently, the obstetric doctors had to follow the instructions laid down for the man‐midwives (Van Lieburg & Marland, ). A few “city” midwives (“stadsvroedvrouwen”) were specially appointed and paid by the city to help the poor.…”

An examination of the historical context of interprofessional collaboration in Dutch obstetrical care

“…In the nineteenth century, autonomous midwifery practice was heavily curtailed in several western countries, but the discussion in the Netherlands had a different focus (Marland, 1995). Here, the discussion was not about the continued existence of the midwife since the role of the midwife in ''normal'' deliveries was firmly entrenched due to the early introduction of legislation governing the obstetrical professions, the institutionalization of midwifery training and the low rate of hospital births (Lieburg, 1989), In contrast, the discussion centered on the role of the midwife in complicated childbirth. As a result, in contrast to several other European countries, the Dutch midwives have a comprehensive role and scope of practice (Larsson, Aldegarmann, & Aarts, 2009;Lavender & Chapple 2004;Miller, 1997) and autonomously perform physiological deliveries, both at home and in the hospital.…”

The Dutch Obstetrical System: Vanguard of the Future in Maternity Care

“…The closing of smaller hospitals in the last few years has made access to backup care more diffi cult, causing some to worry about the future of home birth in the Netherlands (see Wiegers, Hingstman, and Van der Zee 2000;Bleker 2000 Lieburg and Marland 1989;Marland 1987Marland , 1993aMarland , 1993bMarland , 1995Van der Borg 1992;Drenth 1998;and Schama 1988: 481-562. 9. In Sweden, where contemporary midwives have a great deal of autonomy in the clinic, municipal regulation and training began in the seventeenth century (see Romlid 1997).…”