"Since the eighteenth century, obstetric discourse has had a decisive impact on women's experience of childbirth. Using historical records from Irish hospitals and the writings of Irish doctors, this book analyses the core beliefs and practices of obstetric science.". "It reveals a belief in the incompetence of women with regard to childbirth and traces the effects on women of such a radically gendered notion. The author argues that the problem of exercising personal agency which women face stems directly from the way the science has worked.". "In exploring the discourse and power in relation to scientific thinking, Reading Birth and Death makes an important contribution to the fields of obstetrics, midwifery, childbirth education, sociology of the body, cultural studies and women's studies."--BOOK JACKET.