of which I
have spoken before), back over the head of the child, and as soon as it
is advanced as far as the ears, or thereabouts, let her take hold of the
two sides with her two hands, that when a good pain comes she may
quickly draw forth the child, taking care that the navel-string be not
entangled about the neck or any part, as sometimes it is, lest thereby
the after-burden be pulled with violence, and perhaps the womb also, to
which it is fastened, and so either cause her to flood or else break the
strings, both which are of bad consequence to the woman, whose delivery
may thereby be rendered the more difficult. It must also be carefully
observed that the head be not drawn forth straight, but shaking it a
little from one side to the other, that the shoulders may sooner and
easier take their places immediately after it is past, without losing
time, lest the head being past, the child be stopped there by the
largeness of the shoulders, and so come in danger of being suffocated
and strangled in the passage, as it sometimes happens, for the want of
care therein. But as soon as the head is born, if there be need, she may
slide her fingers under the armpits, and the rest of the body will
follow without any difficulty.

As soon as the midwife hath in this manner drawn forth the child, let
her put it on one side, lest the blood and water which follows
immediately, should do it any injury by running into its mouth and nose,
as they would do, if it lay on its back; and so endanger the choking of
it. The child being thus born, the next thing requisite is, to bring
away the after-burden, but before that let the midwife be very careful
to examine whether there be more children in the womb; for sometimes a
woman may have twins that expected it not; which the midwife may easily
know by the continuance of the pains after the child is born, and the
bigness of the mother's belly. But the midwife may be sure of it, if she
puts her hand up to the entry of the womb, and finds there another
watery gathering, and the child in it presenting to the passage, and if
she find it so, she must have a care of going to fetch the after-birth,
till the woman be delivered of all the children she is pregnant with.
Wherefore the first string must be cut, being first tied with a thread
three or four times double, and fasten the other end with string to the
woman's thighs, to prevent the inconvenience it may cause by hanging
between the thighs; and then