Historians at the University of Worcester are calling on mothers across Worcestershire to share their experiences of giving birth, as part of a major research project exploring how childbirth has changed in the region over the decades.
The research is being undertaken by the University in collaboration with the George Marshall Medical Museum, and aims to build an accurate picture of what life has been like for new mothers across different generations.
Dr Anna Muggeridge, who is leading the project, said: “We’ve had some fascinating stories. We weren’t sure if we’d hear from people who’d had their babies in the 1950s and 1960s, but we have, and it has helped build a truly fascinating picture of motherhood and birthing at the time.”
She added: “While we’d still love to hear from people who had children in earlier decades, we’re really keen to hear from more mums who gave birth more recently, from the 90s, 2000’s and 2010’s, and especially from those who had babies during the pandemic.”
Although the team has gathered the stories of midwives and collected examples of the equipment they used, the voices of the mothers themselves are still missing. “Those are so crucial for us to build a complete understanding of what it was like to go through this life-changing event,” said Dr Muggeridge.
The researchers stress that stories do not need to be dramatic to be valuable. “We want to hear from people who had a really positive birth story, or a negative one, or even a ‘run-of-the-mill’ story,” said Dr Muggeridge. “These real accounts of childbirth in Worcestershire give us incredible insights into the changes mothers have been through over the years.”
She continued: “Perhaps someone gave birth during the 2007 floods, and getting to the hospital was difficult, or maybe they were in hospital having their baby while a royal was coming in for a tour, or during the Covid-19 restrictions, we want to hear from as many people as possible.”
Volunteers will first be sent a short form to complete, after which the research team will be in touch to discuss taking part in a recorded interview that will contribute to an oral history archive. “You won’t have to share anything you don’t want to,” said Dr Muggeridge. “There may be bits of someone’s story they want to keep to themselves, and that is absolutely fine.”
The research is part of a £500,000 Future Leaders Fellowship awarded to Dr Muggeridge by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) examining how women have been drawn into politics and activism through their experiences of motherhood.
To take part in the research, or ask any questions of the team, please contact [email protected] or call the museum on 01905 760 738.
For information on courses at University of Worcester visit www.worcester.ac.uk or for application enquiries telephone 01905 855111 or email [email protected]