Confinement

During the 19th century, having children was frequently viewed as women's central function and destiny – and yet the pregnant or postnatal body, as well as the birthing room, is almost entirely absent from public discourses and most written histories of the period.

Confinement: The Hidden History of Maternal Bodies in Nineteenth-Century Britain corrects this omission by examining stories of pregnancy and motherhood across this period. Drawing on letters, diaries, newspapers, coroner's reports and hospital archives as well as medical advice, literature and art, Jessica Cox charts the maternal experiences of nineteenth-century women, exploring fertility, pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth, maternal mortality, unwanted pregnancies, infant loss, breastfeeding, and postnatal bodies and minds. From the royal family to the workhouse, this fascinating history reveals what motherhood was truly like for the women of nineteenth-century Britain.