r pains than if she lay otherwise, or sunk down in her bed. Being
so placed, she must spread her thighs abroad, folding her legs a little
towards her buttocks, somewhat raised by a little pillow underneath, to
the end that her rumps should have more liberty to retire back; and let
her feet be stayed against some firm thing; besides this, let her take
firm hold of some of the good women attending her, with her hands, that
she may the better stay herself during her pains. She being thus placed
at her bed, having her midwife at hand, the better to assist as nature
may require, let her take courage, and help her pains as best she can,
bearing them down when they take her, which she must do by holding her
breath, and forcing them as much as possible, in like manner as when she
goes to stool, for by such straining, the diaphragm, or midriff, being
strongly thrust downward, necessarily forces down the womb and the child
in it. In the meantime, let the midwife endeavour to comfort her all she
can, exhorting her to bear her labour courageously, telling her it will
be quickly over, and that there is no fear but that she will have a
speedy delivery. Let the midwife also, having no rings on her fingers,
anoint them with oil of fresh butter, and therewith dilate gently the
inward orifice of the womb putting her finger ends into the entry
thereof, and then stretch them one from the other, when her pains take
her; by this means endeavouring to help forward the child, and thrusting
by little and little, the sides of the orifice towards the hinder part
of the child's head, anointing it with fresh butter if it be necessary.

When the head of the infant is a little advanced into the inward
orifice, the midwife's phrase is:--"It is crowned"; because it girds and
surrounds it just as a crown; but when it is so far that the extremities
begin to appear without the privy parts, then they say, "The infant is
in the passage"; and at this time the woman feels herself as if it were
scratched, or pricked with pins, and is ready to imagine that the
midwife hurts her, when it is occasioned by the violent distension of
those parts and the laceration which sometimes the bigness of the
child's head causeth there. When things are in this posture, let the
midwife seat herself conveniently to receive the child, which will come
quickly, and with her finger ends (which she must be sure to keep close
pared) let her endeavour to thrust the crowning of the womb (