Did Tudor England Care More for Pregnant Women Than We Do Today?

July 3, 2026 - 21:14

Claire Cohen argues that a relentless pattern of neglect has normalized appalling standards of care for new mothers in today's NHS, raising a provocative question: did we care more about pregnant women in Tudor times?

In an era before modern medicine, Tudor society placed a surprisingly high value on maternal welfare. Birth was a community event, with experienced midwives, female relatives, and neighbors gathering to support the mother. The church mandated that every parish provide a "churching" ceremony, a ritual of thanksgiving and social reintegration after childbirth. This practice, while rooted in religion, ensured that new mothers were not left isolated. They received rest, nourishment, and a formal return to community life.

Contrast this with the modern NHS, where Cohen points to a system stretched to breaking point. Postnatal wards are often understaffed, leaving women to recover in corridors or without basic pain relief. Follow-up care is minimal, with many mothers discharged within hours of giving birth, only to struggle alone with breastfeeding, physical recovery, and mental health challenges. The "fourth trimester" is largely ignored.

While Tudor medicine was crude and maternal mortality was high, the social framework around birth was robust. Today, we have advanced technology but a fractured support system. Cohen suggests that our collective indifference has made poor postnatal care the new normal. The question is not whether we have better medical knowledge now, but whether we have lost the communal will to care for mothers after the baby is born.