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What's At Stake? Witches, Nurses, & A History That Still Haunts Us



What image comes to mind when you think of a nurse? The iconic "lady with the lamp"? A clean white uniform and cap? Or perhaps blue scrubs and PPE amidst a global pandemic?


Now think of a witch. Are you imagining a green face with a long nose and a pointy black hat? Or perhaps an old woman luring children into her candy-filled cottage, casting dark spells?


What if I told you that nurses and witches aren’t so different? That they share a common lineage, rooted in a history of powerful women who have long shown up to attend births?


Perinatal nursing as a formal profession has only existed for about 150 years. But the practice of caring for laboring women stretches back to the dawn of time. Before there were perinatal nurses, there were midwives. So, to understand our history as nurses, we must look at a crucial moment in the history of midwifery.


During the Witch Trials of medieval Europe, midwives were primary targets. The Church’s witch-hunting manual, Malleus Maleficarum, even stated, "No one does more harm to the Catholic Church than the midwives." These women held critical knowledge—how to stop postpartum hemorrhage or relieve the pain of childbirth with herbs. They were trusted figures, wielding authority within their communities, which made them a threat. As a result, midwives were nearly eradicated across Europe, leaving many communities devastated, sometimes with no women left to care for the sick or assist in childbirth. An estimated 9 million women were tortured and killed over several hundred years.


The economic backdrop of this period was the rise of capitalism, which fueled the witch hunts. The trials served as a way to restructure women's roles, particularly among the peasant class, whose influence had grown too powerful for the ruling elite.


As physicians began shifting their focus to childbirth, they did so against this background of persecution and restructuring. When obstetricians needed a reliable, calming presence at births, the profession of perinatal nursing was born. Over time, perinatal nursing has evolved from being the "handmaiden" to the physician into a discipline in its own right—where nurses advocate for their patients, support autonomy, and are deeply skilled in physiological care.


So how can facing this history help us move forward? What’s at stake?


The trauma of the witch hunts didn’t end with the persecution of midwives—it reverberates through time, leaving an indelible mark on women who attend births. Midwives, healers, and wise women were not only violently eliminated but also vilified. The fear and suspicion they faced created a generational memory that still affects nurses today. 


When nurses advocate for patient-centered care or challenge harmful medical protocols, they may encounter resistance or be labeled as "difficult"—a reflection of the centuries-old fear of women's knowledge and authority in birth. The internalized fear of being "too powerful" or "too assertive" in healthcare settings is another remnant of this collective persecution. This generational inheritance of trauma can make it difficult for nurses to claim the full extent of their knowledge and power within medical systems that have long been shaped by patriarchal values.


Recognizing this collective trauma is crucial for modern nurses because it empowers us to see how history still shapes our professional lives. By understanding the deep roots of this struggle, we can reclaim our power and honor our lineage. Nurses today have the opportunity not only to provide care but to resist the structures that seek to limit our expertise, continuing the legacy of resilience passed down from the birth workers who came before us.


Today, as nurses work within largely corporate-owned healthcare systems, we find ourselves navigating many of the same challenges our midwife ancestors faced. Modern nurses, like the midwives of old, continue to resist oppressive structures that prioritize profits over people—whether through fighting for fair pay or pushing back against the devaluation of our knowledge and skills. This resistance is part of a long tradition of birth workers standing up for their role in society.



Sources:

  • Indigenous Europe and Remembering History by Rachelle Garcia Seliga Innate Traditions Blog

  • Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A History of Women Healers by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English

  • Caliban and the Witch by Silvia Federici

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