This fascinating and beautifully illustrated book tells the story of childbearing since 1540, from an event so dangerous that many women made their wills before labour began to the high-tech deliveries of today. The book also reveals the battles which had to be fought with the surgeons, with the church and against public opinion to bring these advances about. The story is told against a background of significant social and historical events in the British Isles and, where relevant, abroad. The book also contains quotations from a variety of sources, some of which history has proved correct and others which have been proved lamentably wrong. Individuals of special importance and developments of particular significance are highlighted.