Curving the Pelvis: André Levret and the Obstetrical Forceps

Obstetrical forceps loom large in the history of midwifery as the explanatory mechanism for the emergence of routine male attendance on uncomplicated labors. The forceps, however, were a dynamic object that underwent constant modifications, with incongruous versions often coexisting. In 1751 celebrated man-midwife André Levret (1703–1780) published a new design of the forceps with a pelvic curve, developed from measurements of pelvic proportions. He initiated a geometric conception of childbirth based on planes and angles that remains in use today. Levret succinctly summarized his conception of childbirth as “a natural operation, truly mechanical and susceptible to geometric demonstration.”[1] This theoretical conception of the female body materialized in his curved forceps. Scrutinizing Levret’s books, memoires, images, and an annotated student copy of Levret’s textbook, this paper focuses on sociomaterial practices around his forceps to explore the confluence of Levret’s medical practices, his curved forceps, and the birthing bodies of women. Finally, the paper follows Levret’s forceps as they circulated around France, eventually finding their way into midwifery courses for provincial women. While the curved forceps developed from a particular, mechanistic conception of the birthing body, this theoretical perspective did not necessarily travel with it. My account also challenges the gendered, progressive narrative of the history of the forceps by demonstrating the indefinite path of invention and complicating the association of the forceps exclusively with men. [1] André Levret, L'art Des Accouchemens, Démontré Par Des Principes De Physique Et De Méchanique, 3rd ed. (Paris: Chez p Fr Didot le jeune, 1766), 86.