German midwife Justine Siegemund lived in the 17th century. Her work, The Court Midwife, revolutionized obstetrics and midwifery in her time because it was the first medical book in Germany written from a woman’s perspective.
Siegemund’s prolapsed uterus was not fully detected when she was 20. She became interested in women’s health because of her suffering. She continued her schooling and obtained birthing skills. For over ten years, she gave free midwifery care to underprivileged women in her community. She became a midwife to noble and royal households as she rose in prominence.
The Birth of The Court Midwife
Male doctors attacked her sexistaly and accused her of using risky childbirth techniques. Ultimately, the medical establishment supported her, and her reputation grew. Some think Mary II of Orange asked Siegemund to produce a manual for other midwives after impressed by her knowledge and abilities. German midwives did not uniformly treat childbirth at the time because midwifery was mainly an oral practice. Men penned the texts in the medical field. In 1690, Siegemund released The Court Midwife, which featured numerous methods for dealing with specific delivery difficulties and precise anatomical drawings.
Despite being married for 42 years, Siegemund never had any kids. She gave birth to almost 6,000 children. Although she passed away in 1705, her influence continued thanks to The Court Midwife’s several reprints during the years that followed.
Why is the Silesian midwife being honored in the Google Doodle, asks Justine Siegemund.
The Court Midwife written by Justine Siegemund, who created history as the first woman to write a significant medical book in German.
On March 28, the enduring Google Doodle honored Justine Siegemund, a trailblazing German midwife who fought against patriarchal beliefs in the 17th century. After releasing her book The Court Midwife, she became the first female author of a substantial medical treatise written in German. You now know all there is to know about Justine Siegemund.
Justine Seigemund, who was she?
On December 26, 1636, Siegmund was born in Lower Silesia’s Rostock, now called Roztoka. After being mistreated by midwives who believed she was pregnant when, in fact, she had a prolapsed uterus at the age of 20, she was motivated to pursue obstetrics and eventually become a midwife. As her reputation rose, Siegemund started attending to the needs of ladies from noble families. In 1683, she was given the official title of City Midwife of Lignitz after starting her career by offering free services to impoverished women. In 1701, she was appointed Berlin’s Court Midwife.
It is said that Siegemund’s book, The Court Midwife, published after Mary II of Orange was so impressed by Siegemund’s abilities that she ordered her to write a teaching manual for other midwives. During her tenure as Court Midwife, Siegemund assisted in delivering children for the royal family. Because there isn’t a formal mechanism for recording safe delivery practices, German midwives generally transmitted their knowledge through word of mouth before publishing her book. As a result, The Court Midwife was the first publication in the nation to provide a thorough overview of childbirth.
The Art Of Midwifery
One of the earliest learned talents is the ability to assist in childbirth and provide guidance and support to expectant mothers. In the days before modern medications and surgery. Childbirth was a dangerous affair, and difficult deliveries may cause both the mother and the infant to pass away. Because of the hazards associated with parenting, women in the ancient world had a lower life expectancy. Partly reflected in their high mortality rate. A competent midwife was undoubtedly a valuable resource for society.
Since most midwives guarded their trade secrets and many needed to be educated, more helpful information was recorded in writing. Their culture was primarily oral. However, by the mid-17th century, some doctors were penning manuals for midwives.1 This illustration is taken from a book titled Court Midwife by renowned German midwife Justina Siegemund (also known as Siegemundin; 1636–1705).2 The first female-authored German medical treatise was her book, released in 1690.
Midwives had mistreated Siegemund, and it had cost him.
When Siegmund was a young lady, midwives treated her poorly because they believed she was pregnant when, in reality, she had a prolapsed uterus. Due to this challenging experience, she studied obstetrics and began working as a midwife in 1659. As her fame rose. Siegemund began to tend to the needs of ladies from merchant and noble families after initially offering gratis to peasants and underprivileged women. She received a formal appointment as the City Midwife of Lignitz in 1683. Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, appointed her Court Midwife in Berlin in 1701 due to the widespread attention her expertise had garnered. She assisted in the birth of the royal family’s children while working as a court midwife. Mary II of Orange reportedly order Siegemund to produce a training manual for other midwives after impressed by her abilities. What emerged was Court Midwife.
Siegemund paid for the publication of her lavishly illustrated book.
The leading medical illustrators of the time, Regnier de Graaf (1641-1673) and Govard Bidloo (1649-1713) provided the intricate embryological and anatomical engravings. That Siegemund used in her lavishly illustrated treatise. This picture demonstrates how to handle one of the potential childbirth problems. In those days, presenting by the shoulder was a dangerous circumstance that could result in both the mother’s and the baby’s demise. While holding one extremity in a sling and rotating the infant in the uterus with two hands. Justina performed the intervention. The procedure of puncturing the amniotic sac to stop bleeding in the placenta previa also invented by Siegemund and François Mauriceau.
Male doctors and midwives occasionally criticized Siegemund and accused her of using dangerous childbirth techniques. But she could withstand all of these attacks on her professional reputation. Unlike male midwives and doctors, She rarely employed drugs or surgical equipment in her practice. The Berlin deacon who oversaw her funeral reported that when she passed away in 1705, she had assisted in the birth of about 6200 children.
Cause of Justine Siegmund’s Death
She made numerous contributions to midwifery, and her legacy continues to inspire doctors and midwives in modern times. Nevertheless, her death on November 10, 1705, signified her death and the start of a new era in midwifery. She had significantly advanced the field. Her services paved the way for modern midwives and medical specialists, who continue to uphold her legacy. Despite this criticism, Siegemund remained practicing midwifery and advocating for midwives’ rights. She never wavered in her tenacious advocacy of safe childbirth practices and women’s rights.
Conclusion
Justine Siegemund discussed in this article. Justine Siegemund, a German midwife, lived in the 17th century. Because The Court Midwife was the first medical book in Germany written from a woman’s standpoint, it transform obstetrics and midwifery during her time. Siegmund was periodically chastise and accused of utilizing risky delivery methods by male doctors and midwives. Still, she overcame all of these attacks on her reputation as a professional.