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The Jordmor episode artwork

Oct 26, 2024 58 min

The Jordmor

from Radio Free Bay Ridge Hosted by Radio Free Bay Ridge

Meet Ingeborg Andreas Blundell: Bay Ridge's midwife, nurse, and abortionist for over a half-century. Practicing from the 1910's through to the 1960's, Ingeborg was a Jordmor: a Norwegian midwife. Operating out of her apartment on 92nd street in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, she oversaw a private clinic for women's reproductive health: delivering babies, caring for mothers, and, illegally providing abortions. Her story has been lost to history, until today. Join Rachel as she interviews co-host Dan about his never-before-revealed research into the hidden history of reproductive rights in Bay Ridge, spanning over a hundred years. Along the way we'll reveal how an entire apartment of working-class Bay Ridgeites defended an immigrant healthcare provider in court. We will discuss how the Norwegian feminist movement and radical Communist healthcare providers educated a trailblazing midwife. And we'll discuss tragedy, tribulation, and hope in the face of an increasingly chauvinist legal and medical establishment. It's a story about how, in defiance of the law, women's reproductive rights has always been a key component of Bay Ridge's identity. Content Warning: This episode features in-depth discussions of abortion, as well as references to maternal mortality, pregnancy complications, and infant mortality. ---- Check out the show notes for background info and bonus material Be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more news and analysis!

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What this episode covers

Meet Ingeborg Blundell: Midwife, nurse, and abortionist. Join us as we reveal the secret history of reproductive healthcare in Bay Ridge.

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The Jordmor

0:00 58:58

Chapters

  1. 0:00 Content Warning
  2. 0:20 Cold Open: Ingeborg’s Trial
  3. 2:18 Introductions
  4. 4:18 In The News: Columbus Day & Justin Brannan
  5. 7:41 In The News: Alec Brook-Krasny Mailer
  6. 8:05 Researching Abortion History in Bay Ridge
  7. 9:51 What is an Abortionist?
  8. 12:34 Bay Ridge’s Anti-Choice Legacy
  9. 16:43 Ingeborg’s Story
  10. 27:40 Immigrating to Bay Ridge
  11. 29:54 The Jordmor
  12. 44:15 Final Arrest
  13. 47:32 In Gods Care
  14. 51:00 Ingeborg’s Legacy
  15. 54:46 Fighting Back
  16. 56:24 Getting in Touch

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How long is this episode of Radio Free Bay Ridge?

This episode is 58 minutes long.

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This episode was published on October 26, 2024.

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