It’s Women’s History Month!
Every year, by presidential proclamation, March is designated Women’s History Month in which the entire month is set aside to honor women’s contributions in American history.
Here on this blog, we’ve featured many women throughout the west who have made a name for themselves in some way. Calamity Jane, Belle Starr, Annie Oakley, Stagecoach Mary… the list goes on and on.
But I recently came across a different woman who wasn’t from the west. In fact, she was from the south–Georgia, to be exact–but she certainly made plenty of contributions in her life to make her worthy of honor and notoriety during Women’s History Month.
Mary Francis Hill Coley was an African-American woman born in 1900 in rural Baker County, Georgia. She learned midwifery at a young age through an apprenticeship instead of attending formal medical school. By her early adulthood, she’d gained enough hands-on experience to achieve the reputation of being one of the most trusted and compassionate midwives serving the communities around Albany, earning the loving name of “Miss Mary.”
“Every baby is a little bit of heaven sent down to earth.”
As most of us with children probably already know, babies don’t decide to be born conveniently during the daytime. Many a husband came knocking on Mary’s door in the middle of the night, frantic that his wife had gone into labor and needed help. Mary kept her medical bag ready on her nightstand. With bag in hand, she’d put on her coat and head out, oftentimes walking long distances down dark country roads if transportation wasn’t available.
“The baby is not the only patient.”
But she did more than just deliver babies. She also:
• provided prenatal guidance, including strongly advising regular doctor visits for crucial examinations at her clinic
• helped families prepare for delivery by offering them a box of linens, baby clothes, and reading materials
• assisted mothers during long home labors, checking them carefully under sanitary conditions
• cared for both mother and newborn for several hours afterward, giving advice, aiding in breastfeeding, and after care.
You’re probably wondering if she had children of her own. She sure did. In 1930, she married Ashley Coley, a carpenter, and they went on to have ten children together. Then, for reasons not revealed, he up and left her to raise those ten kids by herself.
Can you imagine?
But she endured, thanks to her successful midwifery and practical nursing career. While serving her community, she was still able to support her large family as well as buy her own home, a car, a telephone, supplies for emergencies, and even hire an assistant to help with births and visits.
In the early 1950s, the Georgia Department of Public Health wanted to create a documentary film about safe childbirth practices to educate midwives. The result was “All My Babies: A Midwife’s Own Story” (1953), directed by George C. Stoney. Mary Coley was chosen as the central figure – not actors – and the film was used for years to train midwives across the United States and internationally. It was the first time the general public was able to view a real birth on screen, and today the film is considered one of the most important public-health documentaries ever made.
I watched the black-and-white film on YouTube. Mary is very loving, soft-spoken, and efficient as she cares for two separate mothers ready to give birth as well as postpartum. Her knowledge of the importance of sanitation was clear in her work, whether it was washing her hands, boiling her instruments, using freshly-laundered linens or sanitized cloths to clean both mother and baby.
By the time she died in 1966, according to her grandson, she had raised eleven children and delivered 3,700 babies, many of them documented on a large bulletin board in her clinic.
She’s certainly deserving to be honored during Women’s History Month, don’t you think?
If you’ve ever given birth, did you use a midwife at home? A doula? Or did you prefer a hospital setting? Was there someone with you that you couldn’t have done without?
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We trekked north an hour and a half so I could visit a midwife. She predicted our daughter’s birthdate accurately but once it was the week before I was due, I didn’t want to stay in her town alone while my husband worked. Thus, right on schedule, labor started, my water broke and the baby crowned at home. I got in the back cargo area of the station wagon on hands and knees and my husband zipped me to the ER entrance of the local hospital (about 10 minutes from home). The doctor from ER came out to look me over and ended up delivering the baby in the car.
WOW!!!! What a story, Mary!!!
That was probably the longest ten minutes you’d ever spent in a car, right? So glad the doctor came and helped you bring that little angel into the world.
This will probably be my favorite story of the day. Thanks for sharing!
Fascinating woman.
In the hospital. My husband was there.
Mine, too!
You know someone is very important to history when they are part of a museum to preserve not only black history but women’s history and what women of all races went through in the past.
Right, Kim? And to have a documentary made about you, too!
Mary was a special woman, for sure.
had 3 with hubs present at all – was very fortunate to have them and walk out in my regular street clothes – last 2 were big babies at almost 9 pounds! Hubs told all at childbirth class that he had the calf pullers hanging on the porch wall and was prepared to use them if needed!!
That’s hilarious, Teresa! I’m sure everyone in your childbirth class loved your husband’s sense of humor.
Yes, I have given birth twice. Both times I was in the hospital as it was 1963 and 1965. I had everything I needed. My care was very good. It would be very hard to have to go through what women had to when birthing a child in past centuries. Once the path is started, there is no going back! Right?
I agree, Judy. I’m such a wimp – I want help and the best care I can get!!
And you’re so right – it’s amazing these women had 8 – 10 – 12 babies without hospital care, especially in rural areas. So primitive! And yet, God’s way of bringing babies into the world, too.
I had 3 deliveries, all in the hospital. I was present when my oldest grandchild and then my youngest grandchild was born as well as my oldest great grandchild. They were in hospital births.
Wow!! How nice to experience those babies coming into the world. What a perfect way to bond with those babies!
I delivered 3 babies and all were In a hospital without meds. All natural. We didn’t have doulas or coaches where I live at least I never heard of one. My mom was there for me.
Without meds . . . did I say I was a wimp? 🙂
I had never heard of a doula either. Or coaches. I’ve seen videos of women delivering their babies in a pool of warm water, though, but not for me, I’m afraid.
What a great story, Pam. Thanks for sharing it with us!
You betcha!!
I delivered in a hospital with my husband present. The first birth was difficult as the labor continued but the birth did not. the second one she had a cord wrapped around her neck. I did use a epidural as the doctor had to control the birth or the babies would not have lived.
Nothing wrong with an epidural, Debra! They were just coming into use after I delivered my four, but my daughters used them. I’m sure they felt life-saving at the time.
Good thing a doctor was there to watch over you in a hospital setting!
Love this!! I’ve never had kids, though my older sisters have, and 7 of my ten nieces and nephews have.
Glad you enjoyed Mary’s story, Trudy. I’m sure when she started helping those baby angels to be born, she never dreamed she’d reach 3,700 babies and become so revered!!
What an inspirational woman! I have never had kids myself, though I am a mom. I have been raising my niece since she was 1 yrs old, this year she is turning 15! hard to believe how much she’s grown. I also have 9 nieces and nephews that I enjoy sharing my faith with and taking them out on adventures, showing them all that God has created.
Oh, Laura! You’re a special kind of mother to have taken in your niece as your own. She would have been at such a fun age, too. What a gift you gave her to have grown up with family and faith!
What an amazing story. I have never used a midwife but did have a Lamaze coach with my second child, my daughter.
Ah, yes, Lamaze! If I recall, it was a new thing back in my day, and we all practiced it.
What am amazing woman. I have never used a midwife.
Yes, she truly was devoted to her patients. I can’t imagine walking a country road by myself in the dark of night. Makes me freak out a little bit just thinking of it!
I was very glad to be in a hospital when our three were born. The first and third were turned wrong (not breach, fortunately) and the youngest had marks from forceps until she was three months old. I have read in recent years they have the mother kneel on the bed and that helps reposition the baby. Wish they had known to do that with my two. The middle one came much faster and I had no problems with her delivery.
Mary Coley was a special woman and deserves to be honored. Thanks for sharing her story.
Yes, thankfully not breach! I had forceps with my first baby. I don’t think the doctor was as gentle as he could have been, but maybe he was, under the circumstances. I just remember it was terrible, and my sweet angel came out with marks on her head, too. I’m surprised I had three more babies after that experience. Sheesh!
Living in South Carolina, I had heard about Mary Coley on our local PBS station. She’s a testament to the midwifery profession! The Lord was with me in the delivery room as I had my daughter!
We lean on the Lord wherever we are, don’t we? 🙂
And so true about Mary Coley!!
Wow what a wonderful post. Thank goodness for women like “Miss Mary”. I had two children and my husband preferred that we deliver in the hospital. I would have loved to have a midwife that spent time and energy with me. My husband was at both births and I am so grateful. He was a fantastic coach.
Hi, Lori! I can’t even know how many hours Miss Mary spent with mothers as they labored. Surely those hours dragged on in the middle of the night when her own children were home, maybe even alone. What an angel she was!
There were issues with all three of my deliveries. With all three, I had a pudendal block, a local anesthetic that specifically numbs the vaginal area during the pushing stage. I did not want an epidural.
With the first, my water broke and I wasn’t having contractions. At 24 hours, I still wasn’t dilated and the nurse had to place her hand on my abdominal to tell me I was having a contraction. The baby was facing ups the doctor had to reach in and turn her around. Luckily, he didn’t have to use forceps. It is a good thing I had strong muscles to push her out since the contractions weren’t helping. I had back labor with baby number two. With each contraction she was hitting my spine. Not fun. I did a lot of walking, but again I didn’t dilate until the block was almost finished. She had wide shoulders, so took a bit of extra pushing at the end. I was seeing midwives for her, but a doctor I had never seen delivered her. Number three was the first time my water didn’t break. We were a half hour from the hospital so went in when contractions were about 20 minutes apart. Again, I was only 3 cm dilated. It was Thanksgiving morning, so I was sent home because they didn’t want to bother the doctor. That was after I told them I dilated rapidly. I went in to transition a couple of hours later and made a rushed trip back. He told me not to push until the doctor got there. When he did, he was angry that I couldn’t relax the muscles I had been using to hold the baby in for about an hour.
If you can have the same delivery team, and one you like, it is best. The first delivery was by the doctor I didn’t like who had terrible bedside manners. I had never seen the doctors that delivered the next two. The babies were healthy and that was the most important part. All three were in military hospitals and back then I don’t remember them allowing husbands in the delivery room. I was busy and don’t remember.
Hi, Pat! Gosh, you remember your deliveries so vividly. 🙂 If only having babies was easier, but every baby and mother is different. I know what you mean about military hospitals. I’ve heard good and bad about them, but I imagine there’s a turnover of medical staff, and care with a specific civilian doctor group is much different.
But we forget all the birthing discomforts when we hold our babies in our arms, don’t we? All we feel is a rush of love and pride!
Thanks for sharing!
I have a girlfriend who is a doula… her love and caregiving has touched many new mother’s.