In summary, our sources document both the religious and personal signifi-
cance attributed to birth. For women, birth was the fulfillment of a social goal
as well as a moment of great danger. For men, the birth of a child fulfilled per-
sonal and religious obligations, and family was a symbol of prestige and status.
Medical Care and PracticeWhen a medieval woman got married she immediately began to hope for the
birth of her first child, preferably a son. In Jewish society, midwives accompa-
nied young women to the mikve(ritual bath), and newlywed Christian women
also consulted with midwives. Once a woman suspected she was pregnant, her
pregnancy was confirmed based on a midwife’s examination of her stomach
and breasts.^114 During pregnancy, women were supposed to guard themselves
from harm. Pregnancy was considered a period of great vulnerability, and
amulets and charms, as well as incantations, were offered by midwives and oth-
ers to protect the expectant woman.
Many took part in guarding and protecting the expectant mother. Men often
prayed for their wives, as did other family members and friends as well as mid-
wives and other helpers at the scene of birth.^115 Medieval sources often focus
on male activities around birth, but the figures most involved in the practical as-
pects of birth were the expectant mother and the midwife. Both these female
figures were supervised and accompanied by men—the father of the baby and
others. For example, the midwife’s employment was often contracted and always
paid for by the father.^116 From this perspective, although men were generally
excluded from the birthing chamber, their presence and opinions were strongly
felt.
Let us turn to the figure of the midwife, who was central not only for the wel-
fare of the mother throughout her pregnancy and birth, but also for that of the
infant after he was born. In Hebrew sources, the midwives are called by a num-
ber of different names—meyaledet(midwife), isha h·akhama (wise woman), or
h·akhama. The second name, isha h·akhama is very much like the term used for
midwives in contemporary medieval German and French sources—Weise
Frauenor sâges femmes.^117 As noted above, the midwives were central to the
birth process and they accompanied the women throughout the period. Mid-
wives or wise women took care of women not only at times of birth; they also
examined women throughout their lives and served, in essence, as their doctors.
In legal cases that required professional assessment of women’s health, mid-
wives instructed authorities on medical circumstances.^118 For example, R.
H·ayim b. Isaac Or Zaru’a (late thirteenth century) reports the case of a woman
who was ill “in the place of urine.” He explains that in order to determine the
exact nature of her problem, she must consult with the wise women who know
how to distinguish between the different parts of her body.^119 Another instance
in which a consultation with a wise woman is mentioned is in the responsa of