Chapter VI: Of Unnatural Labour

In showing the duty of a midwife, when the child-bearing woman's labour is unnatural, it will be requisite to show, in the first place, what I mean by unnatural labour, for that women do bring forth in pain and sorrow is natural and common to all. Therefore, that which I call unnatural is, when the child comes to the birth in a contrary posture to that which nature ordained, and in which the generality of the children come into the world.

The right and natural birth is when the child comes with its head first; and yet this is too short a definition of a natural birth; for if any part of the head but the crown comes first, so that the body follows not in a straight line, it is a wrong and difficult birth, even though the head comes first. Therefore, if the child comes with its feet first, or with the side across, it is quite contrary to nature, or to speak more plainly, that which I call unnatural.

Now, there are four general ways a child may come wrong. (1) When any of the foreparts of the body first present themselves. (2) When by an unhappy transposition, any of the hinder parts of the body first present themselves. (3) When either of the sides, or, (4) the feet present themselves first. To these, the different wrong postures that a child can present itself in, may be reduced.