Twilight Sleep:” Is The Past Prologue for Todays Debates Over Birthing Choices?
Two weekends ago, “Mad Men” fans were shocked by the way in which Betty Draper gave birth to her third child, Gene. While viewers perhaps perceived the process to be a long shot from a natural or hospital birth today, they were taken aback by the trippy hallucinations Betty had in the delivery room involving her parents and a dying Medgar Evers, and by her writhing and shouting while tied down to her hospital bed without either her doctor (who was out drinking) or her husband Don (who was hanging out in the waiting room) there to advocate for her. When Betty regained full consciousness, her baby was in her arms and the hallucinations forgotten. Needless to say, it was a harrowing viewing experience, but perhaps even more horrifying than watching Betty was realizing how common her situation was for women of her time. Lauren at Feministe has a really excellent post breaking it down for readers: Let’s break out the Childbirth 101: As Betty is depicted, fifty years ago it was common for wo
