@consciouslycait: it’s the last week of women’s health horror stories and today we're talking about the fact that CHAINSAWS were originally developed for CHILDBIRTH… in the 1700s, childbirth could be incredibly dangerous, particularly when a baby became stuck during labour. C-sections existed, but without modern anesthesia, antibiotics or infection prevention, they were extremely risky and were mostly done to take living babies out of their mothers who had passed away during birth. So why was the chainsaw invented as a childbirthing tool? → a surgeon developed a procedure called the symphysiotomy which involved cutting through the cartilage + ligaments connecting the pubic bones to widen the pelvis and create more space for the baby to pass through (all performed without anaesthesia) → in the late 1700s, two Scottish doctors, John Aitken + James Jeffray developed a surgical chainsaw to make cutting through tissue + bone easier and faster. it wasn't the motorized chainsaw we know today, but a small, flexible chain with cutting teeth operated by hand. → while these procedures were intended to save lives, they could also leave women with devastating complications, including hemorrhage, incontinence, pelvic injuries + difficulty walking. eventually… improvements in obstetric care made C-sections much safer, and chainsaws found a VERY different purpose in the timber industry. … and while it's easy to look back at these procedures in horror, I think what's particularly disturbing is just how dangerous childbirth was + how few safe options women had when things went wrong. Childbirth is truly one of the most dangerous things a woman can do!

Cait | fam educator

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Wednesday 28 October 2026 16:45:35 GMT