This paper aims to describe the state of reproduction in Osaka City in the years between 1914 and 1978 by investigating birth registry books kept at one maternity home in Osaka、Japan. These registry books were given to one of the authors after the death of the last midwife with whom the author had been in acquaintance. The registry books consist of 51 volimes and contain the birth data of 9880 women、most of whom gave birth at home. The births were assisted by three main midwives who lived over three generations in this community.
Through an interview with the last midwife in 1997 and her son in 2007 the authors illustrate the lives and attitudes toward childbirth of those three midwives、emphasizing the fact that the maternity home functioned as a training place for young midwives who helped not only to deliver babies but also did the housework there.
Of the 9880 birth 82% took place at home、17% at the maternity home and only 7 cases were transferred to hospitals. The data were analyzed using the SAS statistical method to give an overall description of reproduction in those days and provide information on time of delivery、babies’ weight、stillbirth rate、mothers’ age、parity、age of first menstrual period and so forth. These was only one maternal death.
Generally births outside of the hospital in the past are seen to have little value for consideration、when looked at throuth a medical paradigm. However、an analysis of these data should provide broader perspectives for reproduction which is now constrained mainly to a medical paradigm.
