Transcript

Interviewer: What did the midwives have to do in preparation for delivery?

Elizabeth Austin: Well as for me, I guess I can only speak for myself I tried to follow this book as much as I possibly could with the things that I did have you see. I used to make a little bundle at home. Sterilize my things and put into this little bundle, then when I get to their home…after I…yes…when I was finished delivering the baby, I boiled the instruments, the bowl, the scissors, strings, pieces of material and everything like that. Whatever I thought I would need for the baby, and had that all prepared – and then I would prepare the bed, make it ready, put clean sheets and--- bed clothes and a clean nightie for the mother, blankets and have a receiving blanket ready and a chair or a stool close by with everything placed so I could reach the things when I need it. So that I wouldn't have to leave her and go looking for things; I tried to have everything right there for when I needed it. Besides a kettle of hot water on the floor by the side of the pan, soap, everything that was needed. And of course, for myself, the first thing I did was scrub, I used to scrub my hands…like I said I followed what was in the manual, as much as I possibly could.