Are wizarding births as painful as Muggle births? Also, magical caesarians/breached births

Question

Would wizards be able to use magical painkillers to ease childbirth? Come to think of it, is there actually any mention of magical painkillers (potions or charms) that could help relieve pain?

If there was a problem in the delivery that, in a muggle birth, required a caesarian, what would the magical equivalent be?

As a side-note, what did Tonks do when she gave birth (especially considering it was in the middle of Voldemort's reign of terror and she was a known member of the order of the phoenix, it was probably too dangerous for her to call a midwife or medical professional.

Finally, are there wizarding midwives, or do people go to St. Mungos when they're about to give birth?

Answer 1

There's no canon answer, but all indications are that Wizards can deal with everyday Muggle injuries, illnesses, and afflictions with extreme ease, living centuries as a result. There's no reason to believe they'd have harder labors, and ample reasons to believe they wouldn't.

They have potions that work as extremely effective anesthetics (to say nothing of a good old fashioned Stunning Spell):

Harry drank it in one gulp. The effect was instantaneous. Heavy, irresistible waves of dreamless sleep broke over him; he fell back onto his pillows and thought no more. (GOF)

Dumbledore is even able to completely submerge four people underwater for hours with some sort of enchantment for the Triwizard Tournament. You have to assume on this front, Wizards are far and away above Muggles.

Broken bones can be healed instantaneously:

“You should have come straight to me!” she raged, holding up the sad, limp remainder of what, half an hour before, had been a working arm. “I can mend bones in a second — but growing them back —” (COS)

The only injuries magic seems incapable of painlessly healing are magical in nature: curses, werewolf bites, bones vanishing, etc. I find it hard to believe that after thousands of years or so of something as common as childbirth, healers wouldn't be extremely practiced in addressing and preventing most complications.

And while circumstantial, it's notable that the only canon instance of a witch dying in childbirth happens after she abandons magic (Merope Gaunt).

Answer 2

From Pottermore:

broadly speaking, wizards would have the power to correct or override 'mundane' nature, but not 'magical' nature.

Childbirth pain would fall into the category of 'mundane'.

Answer 3

No canon answer. Also it is very hard to make assumption for the actual state since the capabilities of healers are quite contradictory when it comes to healing "muggle" diseases and injuries.

Here some examples:

Healers seem to be quite capable of curing viral infections like the Common Cold:

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets chapter 8

October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden spate of colds among the staff and students. Her Pepperup potion worked instantly, though it left the drinker smoking at the ears for several hours afterward.

Instantly curing the Common Cold is something that muggle medicine has not achieved yet.

Injuries are also healed quite fast. However some restoration procedures include enduring unpreventable pain:

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets chapter 10

"You should have come straight to me!" she raged, holding up the sad, limp remainder of what, half an hour before, had been a working arm. "I can mend bones in a second - but growing them back"

"You will be able to, won't you?" said Harry desperately.

"I'll be able to, certainly, but it will be painful," said Madam Pomfrey grimly, throwing Harry a pair of pajamas. "You'll have to stay the night ......

On the other side healers are not capable of healing some chronic diseases. Examples include:

• Myopia - Harry, Dumbledore, McGonagall wear glasses. This is also a point for the muggle doctors since Myopia is curable for some time now.
• Lumbago - Perkins had to give up on camping
• Hearing loss

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix chapter 22

A very old, stooped wizard with a hearing trumpet had shuffled to the front of the queue now. 'I'm here to see Broderick Bode!' he wheezed.

Healers were also not capable of curing the psychological damage that the muggle boys caused on Ariana Dumbledore. Whatever these boys did it wasn't of magical nature. This is another point for muggle doctors since there are special therapies for kids that went through trauma.

In regard to the second part of the question:

Finally, are there wizarding midwives, or do people go to St. Mungos when they're about to give birth?

There doesn't seem to be a special section in St. Mungos for women that are about to deliver:

As the wizard hobbled and pranced sideways out of the way, the Weasley party moved forward a few steps and Harry read the floor guide:

ARTEFACT ACCIDENTS...................................... Gound floor

Cauldron explosion, wand backfiring, broom

crashes, etc.

CREATURE-INDUCED INJURIES........................ First floor

Bites, stings, burns, embedded spines, etc.

MAGICAL BUGS.................................................... Second floor

Contagious maladies, e.g. dragon pox,

vanishing sickness, scrofungulus, etc.

POTION AND PLANT POISONING...................... Third floor

Rashes, regurgitation, uncontrollable

giggling, etc.

SPELL DAMAGE..................................................... Fourth floor

Unliftable jinxes, hexes, incorrectly applied charms, etc.

VISITORS' TEAROOM / HOSPITAL SHOP.......... Fifth floor

IF YOU ARE UNSURE WHERE TO GO, INCAPABLE OF NORMAL SPEECH OR UNABLE TO REMEMBER WHY YOU ARE HERE, OUR WELCOME WITCH WILL BE PLEASED TO HELP.

There is no special delivery section and it will be quite unwise to place pregnant women among sick/injured people.

So either the women deliver at home, in a specialized hospital or even in a muggle hospital.