When it comes to giving birth, the first image that comes to mind is a woman lying down on her back, but this wasn't always the case. In fact the origin of the position we now most associate with women giving birth started as a procedure to remove gall stones in 18th century France. So how did this position become the gold standard for bringing newborns into the world?

Originally released by Knowledgemotion, 2017. Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on February 21, 2020.