Profession, skill, or domestic duty? Midwifery in Sheffield, 1881-1936.

Abstract

Midwives today trace their professional identity back to the period following the midwifery regulation of 1902, when provisions were made for the training and registration of all midwives, and for the gradual elimination of the untrained practitioner. Some historians have argued that this represented a definite break and signalled the willingness of midwives to move towards a professional status. A comparison of midwifery in Sheffield pre- and post-regulation demonstrates no significant change in the practice and profiles of those in the occupation; all midwives remained primarily married or widowed part-time workers. Training for midwives was instituted early in Sheffield. Those trained had fairly high caseloads for the period, but their social and economic status was no different from non-trained midwives in the area. Regulation had a significant impact on the attitude of doctors towards midwives, who were increasingly viewed as part of a medical structure of care. Some midwives attempted to pursue collective action in order to improve their prospects, but they were in the minority. The limits to their professional development were demonstrated by their lack of control over supervision, their subordinate relationship to doctors, and their inability to work in unison.