The Midwife | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
Text copyright Myrrh Sagrada © 2004

     Marguerite and the maid did as they were bidden. The midwife placed the bladders on either side of the woman's belly, instructing the maid to sit on the bed and hold them in place. "Be careful not to press too hard, or you'll trigger another pang. Marguerite, bring me the warmed oil."

     As the young woman held the bladders in place, Celeste began applying the oil to her patient's distended abdomen. She turned to her daughter, ever mindful of the need to instruct her. "Mustn't be too vigorous. Gentle is the way. The idea is to calm the muscles and relax the mother. A relaxed mother delivers more easily, with less pain. There, cover her belly with the heated cloth. --That should help, Beatriz."

     The laboring woman's face and limbs slackened noticeably and her breathing slowed.

     "She's ready for the theriac. Give it me." The midwife wiped the oil from her hands onto her apron, then took the vial and tiny cup from her daughter, measured out the syrup and put it to the woman's lips. "Drink this, Bea. Drink it all down." Then she explained to her daughter in a low voice, "In this case, the syrup is a general antidote, something to help bring her back into balance."

     Celeste took a handful of dried lavender flowers from a pouch and rolled them between her hands to crush them and release their fragrance into the room. Then she tossed them into the spitting fire. She repeated the process twice more.

     "Now, the sow's milk. Is it fresh?"

     "Yes indeed, ma'am," the maid chirped.
"Mix equal parts of the milk and honey wine. She'll need to drink it little by little."

     This was done, and given to Jehan to administer to his mother, who after several swallows spoke in short, weak phrases. "Thank God … and the Virgin. I am indebted to you, mistress. … I shall instruct Monsieur Bûche … to double your fee."

     "Don't think about that now, Beatriz, just relax. We'll need to get you up and pushing soon, so rest a bit." She put the milk-wine to her lips and made her drink again.

     Time seemed to slow in the room as the sufferer dozed. Jehan, obviously relieved, lay his head down on the pillow beside his mother and closed his eyes. Two times more Beatriz stirred, a contraction coming upon her, but with the midwife's gentle coaxing she was able to get through each one, then fell back into the oblivion of sleep.

     Celeste rose and recited a whispered prayer at the foot of the bed.

May it be Your will, O great, mighty and awesome God, that the merits of this poor woman who is trembling and crying out in her pains of childbirth be remembered before You. If she has done anything against Your will, forgive and cleanse it through her suffering in the pain of her labor. May the sound of her cry ascend to Your Throne of Glory, and seal the mouths of her accusers; but may those who defend her with good deeds be gathered before You. Spread Your mercy upon her...

     When she felt assured her patient was deeply asleep, Celeste went around the room and pinched out several candles to dim the light, then took position in a chair just outside the door, Marguerite on the floor at her feet, head resting on her mother's lap.

     In the half-darkness Celeste stroked her daughter's hair and spoke to her in low tones.

     "At present Mother and child are inextricably one, yet struggling against one another to separate. Only balance between the two makes it possible for separation to be successful. If that balance is not achieved before delivery, the birth may wound both mother and child, possibly fatally.

     "We will administer motherwart to bring on contractions, but if baby doesn't come soon after, we can assume this mother's humours are overpowering this child's. I've always known Beatriz to be of choleric humour -- easily agitated. This baby may be too sanguine."

     "Mama, you told me sanguine humours weaken before the autumn equinox."

     "Just so, little one. Perhaps that explains why this birth is so difficult. Now, how can we make this mother more serene?"

     "Make her more sanguine ... hot and moist, connected to blood. We should not bleed her!"

     "Yes, but child, we never bleed a laboring mother. She will bleed aplenty after she's delivered of her child. No, we should continue to apply hot, moist compresses, and since sanguinity is seated in the liver, we shall make her a tea of milk thistle, burdock root and dandelion root as a liver tonic.

     "Now, remember, I said we need mother and child to achieve a balance. That means we must help the babe become less sanguine and more choleric. Choleric humours are associated with heat, dryness, and bile. We'll have the mother up to drain fluids. We can increase the heat in the room, and we'll administer a concoction of duck gall crushed into dandelion root."

     "Duck gall?"

     "Yes, because Mars rules choleric humour, and is seated in the gallbladder."

     "But how will that help the baby? He's inside!"

     "We apply the paste to the mother's lower abdomen and around the birth opening, as we did with Madame Laurier, remember? It will go through to the baby."

     Celeste smiled down at her daughter and stroked her hair. "We shall see as we go along whether we'll need to use all these measures. Watch carefully; be attentive. Now, before we get her up and pushing, I'll build up the fire. You open the window, because air is also part of the sanguine humour. Heat from the fire, air from the window, and we're not bleeding her. I'll get fresh compresses ready for heat and moisture, whilst you brew the motherwart."

     Mother and daughter returned to the birthing chamber and went to work, first rekindling the candles and the extra lamp. After Marguerite had brewed the motherwart, Celeste instructed her daughter in the preparation of the duck gall. She then took the housemaid aside and gave her a quick lesson in how to support her mistress in the birthing chair.

     The penetrating, acrid smell of gall crushed into dandelion root permeated the birthing chamber, making throats catch and eyes water.

  "No! No! This isn't like it was with Jehan! This is how it was with the ones that died! Something is not right!"