Ikätilaan

Ikätilaan is a historical Finnish term referring to a midwife or birth attendant, presented here in its illative form ikätilään meaning “to the midwife.” The base noun ikätilä is an archaic designation for a person who assisted with childbirth, a role known in Finland prior to modern formalization of midwifery. In contemporary Finnish, the everyday word for this profession is kätilö, and ikätilä is largely encountered only in historical texts, literature, or discussions of traditional rural childbirth practices.

Usage and context

Ikätilä historically described individuals who provided childbirth assistance, often within local communities and without standardized professional training. With the development and normalization of formal midwifery education in the 20th century, the term ikätilä fell out of common use, and kätilö became the standard designation for a practicing midwife. Today ikätilä appears mainly in historical contexts, ethnographic descriptions, or literary works that depict traditional or older practices surrounding birth.

Etymology

The etymology of ikätilä is not universally agreed upon. It is considered distinct from the modern kätilö and is typically treated as a historical term. Some sources suggest older Finnish or Swedish influences in the expression for female birth attendants, but there is no single definitive explanation.

See also

Kätilö (midwife), Synnytys (birth), Obstetrics, History of childbirth in Finland.