How would you feel about being shut alone in a dark room for two weeks after having a baby? How about going back to work in a factory 24 hours after birth? Academic Dr Jessica Cox chats to journalist Rosie Taylor about some of the strange and contradictory Victorian attitudes and practices around new motherhood. She discusses the progress we've made since the 19th century, the things that haven't changed - and what this tells us about our society's treatment of new mothers today.
Jess's latest book Confinement: The Hidden History of Maternal Bodies in Nineteenth-Century Britain will be published by the History Press next year. You can get updates on where you can preorder and hear more from Jess by following her on Twitter: @JessJCox. You can see some of her previous books on Victorian literature here.
On the Mother Bodies podcast, Rosie is on a mission to find out why postnatal health is still so overlooked and to uncover the biases and inequalities which mean women so often don’t get the care, support or treatment they need after having a baby. She speaks to fascinating guests about their personal stories of recovery after birth, how the politics of postnatal health affects us all - and the big ideas which could change mothers' lives for the better.
Insta: @motherbodies
Twitter: @motherbodies
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