What if we were to once again give midwives a major role in childbirth? Sociologist Béatrice Jacques takes stock of this societal debate. Indeed, some professionals and families are calling for a more human-centered approach to childbirth: fewer medical interventions and more attentive care. For them, the peak of medicalization seems to have been reached. A look back at several centuries of obstetric history, marked by dramatic changes in the conditions surrounding childbirth.