Designing Motherhood

Things That Make and Break Our Births

Audio guide


#1 Introduction


Narrated by Sarah Bloom with additional commentary by Michelle Millar Fisher and Juliana Rowen Barton, co-curators of Designing Motherhood

image of a pink menstruation cup from the 1930s

#2 Menstrual cup

Narrated by Sarah Bloom with additional commentary by Angela Garbes, author of Like a Mother and Essential Labor. 

Image: Tassette, invented 1937 and produced under this name from 1959. Leona Watson Chalmers (American, 20th century) and Robert P. Oreck (American, 20th century). Photo: Erik Gould. Image courtesy Designing Motherhood.

#3 Fertility chart


Narrated by Sarah Bloom with additional commentary by Amie Bishop, advisor for OutRight Action International. 

Image: Fertility Awareness Method Chart from Taking Charge of Your Fertility, 1995

#4 C-section drape

Narrated by Sarah Bloom with additional commentary by Dila Perera, executive director of Open Arms. 

Photo © Clever Medical/Hefferilt Photography

#5 Birth stool

Narrated by Sarah Bloom with additional commentary by Mercedes Snyder, licensed midwife. 

Image: Photo © Wellcome Collection.

#6 Baby carrying

Narrated by Sarah Bloom with additional commentary by Michelle Millar Fisher and Juliana Rowen Barton, co-curators of Designing Motherhood. 

Photo © Gates Archive/Sumy Sadurni.

# 7 Breast pumps

Narrated by Sarah Bloom with additional commentary by Cyril Engmann, a neonatologist at the University of Washington, Seattle Children’s Hospital, and Providence Hospital and a senior director at PATH. 

Image: SMB (breast pump) designed by Einar Egnell, 1950s. Photograph by Bengt Backlund. © Bengt Backlund/Upplandsmuseet, Uppsala, Sweden; Medela LLC

#8 Nipple shields & breastfeeding tools

Narrated by Sarah Bloom with additional commentary by Rebecca Mauldin, director of communications and development at Child Strive. 

Image: Pewter Nipple Shield, Mütter Museum, Photo © Lindsey Beal

#9 Sonogram


Narrated by Sarah Bloom with additional commentary by Ari Robbins Greene, plaintiff attorney and proud dad. 

The first Diasonograph, built by Kelvin & Hughes c. 1964, Photo courtesy of Dugald Cameron.

Art photography of breastmilk under a microscope

#10 Milkscapes and conclusion

Narrated by Sarah Bloom with additional commentary by Michelle Millar Fisher and Juliana Rowen Barton, co-curators of Designing Motherhood. 

Photo courtesy of Aimee Koran © Aimee Koran.