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The home birth kit: medical object spotlight
On display at Northland Medical Museum is this fascinating object: a home birth kit, offering a window into the world of birthing in times gone by.
Until the mid 20th century giving birth at home or in small maternity units was common. General practitioners were trained to manage quite complex situations with limited facilities and they would be carrying their own equipment. Midwives similarly carried a kit with equipment and supplies needed for the birth and the immediate care of the newborn.
After the Second World War, both specialist obstetric training and general practitioner obstetrics became more formalised. There was an increasing trend towards giving birth in dedicated maternity hospitals. The number of home births declined and has remained as a small percentage of total births in New Zealand.
Changes in the provision of maternity services in New Zealand has led to general practitioners no longer being involved with births at present.
This series of photographs of a home birth kit shows not only the contents of the case but alludes to the various situations that the doctor would be prepared for, should the need arise.
In this first image, the case is opened. Inside the lid is an array of artery forceps, a scalpel, and a metal catheter for bladder drainage.
In the case are a number of specula for visualising the birth canal and the cervix, more grasping forceps to assist with retrieval of the placental membranes, and a glass syringe for local anaesthetic injection. All the instruments in the photographs would be sterilised in the home or the birthing unit, usually in very hot water or an autoclave.
Here in image two, the whole case is shown including a metal tray holding obstetric forceps to assist with the birth and a wooden tray containing medications. Both these trays fitted into the base of the case, being slid into a recess below the main case.
In addition to the obstetric forceps, the metal dilators and glass syringe were placed in the metal tray. The dilators would most likely have been used to manage a miscarriage.
Having the two trays like this was a convenient way of being able to carry all this equipment and medications in one bag.
In image four, a pair of obstetric forceps is shown. Undertaking a forceps delivery in the home or in a birthing unit not only required considerable skill but also in general urgent indications where transfer to a larger unit would have been impractical.
You can find these fascinating medical objects on display at Northland Medical Museum in Whangārei. Why not plan a visit next time you are in the area!
Northland Medical Museum was founded by Dr John Swinney FRCA, and is based at the Heritage Park in Maunu, Whangārei. It is home to a wide range of medical memorabilia and health stories from Northland and New Zealand.
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Read about other items in the collection of Northland Medical Museum, including the doctor’s bag of Dr Eleanor Baker McLaglan: health camp advocate, house surgeon, rural doctor, and advocate for children’s health.
Read about Northland Medical Museum’s collection of artificial pneumothorax machines and the development of a treatment for Tuberculosis.
Find out more about Northland Medical Museum.
This series of photographs of a home birth kit shows not only the contents of the case but alludes to the various situations that the doctor would be prepared for, should the need arise.