Julia Johnson | 2026 I.S. Symposium
Name: Julia Johnson
Title: Don’t Just Lie There: Analyzing the Systemic Roots and Standards of the Lateral Birthing Position, Impacting Mothers’ Health in US and France
Major: French and Francophone Studies
Advisors: Marion Duval
The history of birthing positions in France, from the 16th century to the present, reveals a profound shift from community-based, upright births performed at home to a medicalized model in which women are placed in the lateral position under the supervision of physicians. This practice spread throughout Europe and into North America, and there remains the dominant technique today.  This study examines the historical, cultural, and institutional factors that contributed to this transition, as well as the contemporary physiological and psychological implications of lateral versus upright birthing positions on birthing women in France and the United States. Significant differences in maternal outcomes emerge between the two countries, including a significantly higher maternal mortality rate in the US than in France, and increased levels of postpartum suicide in France over the United States. In comparing these cultural and medical contexts, as well as the outcomes of varying birthing techniques, this research seeks to clarify how institutional norms, professional authority, and women’s preferences shape birthing practices and outcomes. Ultimately, this study aims to illuminate the gap between the care patients wish to receive and the care medical institutions provide, in order to support more responsive and culturally informed obstetric practice, leading to better outcomes for the health and wellbeing of the mother and her infant.
Posted in Symposium 2026 on May 1, 2026.
