Midwifery and Whales
Posted By Foolish Sage on February 22, 2009
Midwifery should be taught in the same course with fencing and boxing, riding and rowing.
Herman Melville, Moby Dick
As the veteran of two childbirth experiences (not giving birth, of course, but pretty up close and personal nonetheless), I can attest to the truth of Melville’s observation. Both our daughters were born at home, the elder with a certified nurse midwife, and the younger with an old country doctor.
If you have a copy of The Whale* at hand and simply must know why a book about a 19th century whaling expedition would be musing upon the profession of bringing babies into the world, check out chapter 78 (“Cisterns and Buckets”), or read it online with helpful notations.
*The Whale was Melville’s chosen title for the book. It was the New York publishers who christened it Moby Dick. By the way, the real-life Moby Dick was actually named Mocha Dick. Starbucks, I have your new drink!
![[caedmonscall.net]](http://rmfo-blogs.com/images/ccneticon.jpg "The official unofficial fan site of Caedmon’s Call.")
![[derekwebb.net]](http://rmfo-blogs.com/images/dwneticon.jpg "The official fan site of Derek Webb.")
![[rmfo-blogs.com]](http://rmfo-blogs.com/images/rmfoblog.png "About the [rmfo-blogs.com] service.")
Mark Traphagen (aka Foolish Sage) is a lover of dark beers and darker music, of things that are but are not as they seem, of contexts taken out of context to become new contexts, of resurrections and that which is already (but not yet). Mark lives in Durham, NC, with his wife and pet Macbook Pro. He has two married daughters and six grandchildren, and currently freelances as an Internet marketer.
Comments