In the course of the 19th century there was an uneven medicalization and professionalization of midwifery care. While in the Austrian Silesia the results of gradual medicalization were obvious, there were regions, where the opposite was the truth and where the influence of medicine had not reached yet. One of such places was Wallachia, which is considered to be one of the poorest regions in the Czech lands. The best indicator of the quality of midwifery care in a given area is the ratio of maternal mortality at birth, as well as frequency of calling a doctor to the birth. An analysis of four Wallachian villages (Rusava, Študlov, Lačnov, Zašová) and three towns (Vsetín, Valašské Klobouky and Bystřice pod Hostýnem) contributes to a better identification of the health situation in Wallachia but can also be useful as a probe into everyday life in the country.