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I hate it when I have a great idea but none of my usual editors want it. This happens a lot. “No, we’re not going to publish all that advice you found where Dear Abby tells mid-century women that they LIKED being hit.” or “Our readers aren’t really looking to be confronted with a think piece about the hygienic implications of menstrual art.” And so forth.

And I know without asking none of them are gonna touch this AMAZING collection of birthing images I’ve accumulated. They are mostly sourced from the Wellcome Museum and The British Musem…if you want to liven up your Pinterest you should check out those sites. Abortion pills used to (exist, and) be chocolate covered.

So here, all on my own. Some images are very graphic. But so is childbirth. I hope you like this.

First, a little history of the Cesarean Section

This is from a gynecological text dated around 1430. Cesareans were then only preformed on women who died in childbirth. The picture shows the pale bloodless mother on operating table, with doctor holding knife after delivering baby by Cesarean, and a nurse holding swaddled child.