The midwife - one of the oldest female crafts. It seems that even the ancient prostitution and journalism :)
The Russian word "midwife", "midwife" is associated with the verb "twist / tie" the umbilical cord. The modern word "midwife" is of French origin. The verb accoucher - give birth / give birth.
The German word "Hebamme" comes from the old German "Hevianna", where the first part means "heben" (raise), and the second - "Ahnin" - "ancestor / grandmother". That is, the word midwife originally meant "uplifting." According to the ancient custom of the Germanic tribes, the midwife raised the newborn on the shield and handed it to his father, and he recognized (or did not recognize) the child. According to the traditions of those harsh times, the father also had the right to kill the child if he saw that he was weak.
The English word midwife comes from the old English "mid wife" - "with a woman / wife." The German preposition “mit” and the German noun “Weib” (woman) are guessed, yes?) That is, “together with the woman / woman in labor”.
1513 year. The midwife takes birth.
The reason that women give birth is not as easy as in female animals, of course, is not a biblical curse on the daughters of Eve at the time of the expulsion of their Garden of Eden. " ..and in pain you will bear your children ... ", and the anthropological features of the structure of the female pelvis. In the process of evolution and changes in climatic conditions on the planet, human individuals began to walk on two “hind” legs, and the narrowing of the pelvic bones became the “payment” for erect posture and running.
To reduce fear of childbirth, magic has been called upon to help from pagan times. Amulets and other charms were attributed the properties of protection against all kinds of evil spirits, which supposedly lay in wait for the woman in labor and the baby, as well as the properties of reducing pain and "safety net" from possible death. Many midwives used elements of magic in their work. In the room where the birth took place, magic spells were cast, bunches of herbs were burned, symbolic fumigation was carried out, mineral aetite ("eagle stone") was tied to the hips of a woman in labor. Various pagan deities were called to help.
The birth of twins: 
When the child was born, the midwife cut the umbilical cord to the length of four fingers, bandaged it. Then she cleaned the body of blood and mucus and bathed it. The palate of the newborn was smeared with honey to stimulate appetite. Prematurely born were smeared with pork fat until he himself could not maintain body temperature.
With the spread of Christianity, the virgin Mary, who herself was a mother, was considered the patroness of women in childbirth. By the way, back in the Middle Ages, many midwives called into question the fact of the virginity of Mary who gave birth to Jesus. But, of course, they kept their opinions to themselves, since with the omnipotent church in the Middle Ages, jokes were bad.
A woman in labor and her family should read the prayer “ Quicumque vult". In difficult births, a conspiracy was popular in German-speaking regions: “O child, alive or dead, come into the light, the Lord is calling you!” At least purely psychologically, these measures had a positive effect on the woman in childbirth.
1505 year. From the guide for midwives:
The midwife craft in the Middle Ages was highly honored and respected. And so it was before the period of the "witch hunt" ....
The “gloomy” era of the Middle Ages was marked by an increase in the authority of the church in all aspects of life. And midwives were also driven into the narrow framework of norms, prescriptions, and “Christian” rules, which they were obliged to strictly observe.
1569 year. Hospital Maternity Ward:
The Hammer of the Witches (1486), instructions for exposing witches, described in detail how to recognize a witch and why it is dangerous. And midwives were a "risk group" in this terrible reprisal.
Given the miserable state of hygiene of the time, the death of a newborn or woman in labor was a frequent occurrence. However, the families of the deceased often sought the guilty. If in any village the death rate of women in labor or newborns increased, suspicion fell on the local midwife. In addition, theologians claimed that midwives prepare their potions from unbaptized babies.
1471 year
:
The church was most worried that in difficult births, when the life of the mother and child was hanging by a thread, the midwife managed to perform the rite of "emergency" baptism. After all, it was not death that was considered the worst thing, but the fact that “non-Christ” will forever burn in the fiery hell, and Satan will take possession of his soul !!! While a baptized infant can die peacefully, his soul will immediately go to heaven.
Midwives received “instructions” for “emergency” baptism. In the 21st century, these instructions sound completely absurd. Even if the child partially came out of the mother’s womb, and the matter does not go any further, the midwife was obliged to concentrate her efforts on the speedy baptism of this “part” of the child that came out into the white light (even if it was a hand or foot), and only then continue to render further assistance to mothers and babies. Each midwife in the bag, along with tools, had a bottle of "holy" water (which, of course, was often teeming with germs).
In some regions, the midwife could perform the last communion, accept confession, and absolve the sins of the dying.
Shot from the movie "Midwife", other photos below.
There is some evidence that historians suggest that midwives in the Middle Ages were less prone to church obscurantism, did not adhere to these instructions of the church, and most often acted in the interests of women in labor and the child. However, ill-wishers could inform her in church "bodies" that they say she did not have time to baptize the child. And the priest, on suspicion that such a midwife “does not keep faith,” could come and be present at childbirth. The midwife could have been in trouble. And during the “witch hunt” periods, the affair could have ended for her altogether. After all, women of this profession were the very first “candidates” for “witches”. The midwife possessed a lot of secret knowledge - she knew about herbs, conspiracies, in her hands was the life of a mother and a child. Sometimes a woman in labor or a newborn died — and didn’t she have a hand in this? She constantly dealt with unbaptized infants, which means that, according to the theologians, she was most susceptible to the temptations of the devil. The sick brain of ecclesiastical obscurantists came up with completely delusional scenarios - that the midwife supposedly could succumb to Satan's entreaties and temptations and toss the woman in childbirth of Satan, and kill the unbaptized child in childbirth. Such scenarios are found in modern horror films, and then it was a reality. In addition, the Inquisition considered the woman by default unclean, sinful. The midwife craft was connected with women, she touched their genitals, and through them, according to the theologians, Satan could enter the body. And the midwife herself was a woman.
1515 year. 
Although it was forbidden by both the church and professional ethics, she, being an herbalist, knew what kind of weed to drink (for example, a decoction of thuja fruits that are poisonous) so that the pregnant woman “threw out” an unwanted child, since she already had a weakness seven hungry on the benches. Even if the midwife did not do this, but purely theoretically Could. And if it could, then it’s to blame. Generally, " there would be a man, but there is an article"(from). During the witch hunt, hundreds of midwives were tortured and executed. Some, before dying under torture, “confessed” that they killed dozens of babies (note: under the torture, the Pope himself would admit that he committed adultery with Satan)
17th century. The midwife came to the woman in childbirth: 
The midwife was supposed to lead a pious Christian lifestyle. She was also charged with the obligation to try out the name of the child's father from the woman in labor, if she was unmarried. The issues of Christian morality in the Middle Ages were given much more importance than the issues of medical and psychological assistance to women in labor. One can only guess how midwives of those times managed to maintain a balance between professional ethics and the requirements of the church. With all their advanced (at that time) medical knowledge, one must not forget that they were still products of their era, with the same fears and problems as others. And they had to live by the standards of their time.
The birth of a noble woman: 
Of interest are the medical knowledge of midwives. Since time immemorial, good midwives have known that ergot accelerates contractions, and blehlen, belladonna and poppy have a narcotic analgesic effect. They knew how to sew a crotch rupture with silk threads, made Caesarean alive (though many women in labor did not survive). Some skills of midwives of earlier times are lost - for example, how to turn the fetus in the right way with the help of knitting needles and ribbons inserted into the uterus.
The family is waiting ... 
Even in the Old Testament, wise “knowing” women were mentioned who assisted women in labor at the most crucial moment.
For many thousands of years, training in the craft of midwives for all nations took place on the same principle: “learning by doing,” as they would say today. That is, the young beginning midwife learned the craft from an old experienced woman, at first she simply accompanied her mentor, helped her to take birth, watched, learned all the secrets, and then she began to take birth under the supervision of the eldest. Thus, knowledge and experience were passed down from generation to generation.
In fairness, it should be noted that not only women played the role of midwives. In remote rural areas, it was commonplace for women in labor from the poor to call male shepherds as midwives. It was believed that if he knows how to take birth in a cow or a sheep, then a woman can. But most of the midwives were still women.
Ancient Roman, ancient Greek and Persian doctors did not consider obstetric aid as part of medicine. In some ancient treatises touched upon such "gynecological" topics as conception, pregnancy, infertility, menstruation. In general, while the processes took place inside the body itself, this applied to medicine. But as soon as the stage of expulsion of the fetus from the womb of the mother began, it was no longer medicine, but the area of \u200b\u200bknowledge of the midwife. Medical scientists have referred to the fact that these are “women's affairs” or were content with a couple of superficial advice ... For example, “ make the woman in labor sneeze so that the fetus comes out faster».
One of the few well-known works on obstetrics, written by men, dates back to 350 CE. The author, the physician of Theodorus Priscianus, expresses in the introduction a thank you to a midwife named Victoria, whom he consulted on the practical part of the book. " I just want to support you with my knowledge so that you, having the advantage of belonging to the same sex, can use this knowledge to cure female ailments. ” History has not retained any information about this Victoria, even unknowingly whether she possessed a letter to read this book. We only know that she shared her knowledge with the doctor.
Thus, the practical area of \u200b\u200bobstetrics was entirely in the hands of midwives. Doctors did not interfere in their affairs for a long time. Women themselves experimentally found methods of helping women in labor with complications. The first obstetrics textbooks were written by women midwives, not doctors.
1819 year. The midwife brings the child to church. Midwives often became godmothers to whom they helped to be born. 
One of the first names that came to us of such “knowing” women was Trotula from Salerno, who lived in the 11th century. In her book, she described 16 variants of complications during childbirth - for example, the head does not pass through the birth canal, lateral presentation, the child is kicking and so on .. As the symptoms of a frozen fetus, the absence of fetal movements, the eyes of the woman in labor and her “insensibility” on lips and face. For each variant of complication, Trotula gives detailed instructions for the midwife.
Trotula also describes recipes for ointments, compresses, potions. To expel the frozen fruit, Trotula advises water or steam baths with certain herbs. If this does not help, then follow the instructions on how to extract the fruit piece by piece.
If the midwife saw that the woman in labor had died and the fetus was still alive, she was OBLIGED to make Caesarean a sharp razor blade as soon as possible. This was the rule of all midwives, as well as the requirement of the church synod - in order to save the life of a child. If the midwife did not have the courage to do a cesarean, she should have called for help to a man, for example, a woman in labor. Otherwise, she was considered guilty of the death of the child and could be punished. Cesarean was carried out mainly in deceased women in childbirth.
1774 year. Childbirth in a wealthy family.
If the child walked with his feet, then he should be slightly “pushed” back and try to turn his head down. If this did not help, especially skilled midwives could insert two spokes through the birth canal, at the ends of which thin ribbons were tied. With the help of knitting needles, they wrapped ribbons around the legs of the fetus in a special way, turned it in the right direction and pulled out the light of day. These knitting needles were the only auxiliary tool allowed to use midwives. The use of forceps was an absolute taboo for them; for them it was possible to go to jail or at least have serious trouble. Nippers had the right to impose only doctors. At the first request of the “district” doctor, the midwife was OBLIGED to present his bag to him so that he could check for the presence of forceps, abortion devices, and also “forbidden” herbs.
The midwife advises a pregnant patient:
When the fights began, the midwife knew her job. But as soon as complications ensued, she had few funds in the Middle Ages. Proof of this was the high mortality of women in labor and newborns literally before the 19th century. After all, every manual intervention (all these knitting needles, hooks ...) was associated with a risk of infection or bleeding. Rotation of the fetus in the womb was fraught with the danger of detachment of the plantation or pressing of the umbilical cord. There were no serious painkillers.
I was very afraid of the maternity fever, which was due to the infection brought in during childbirth. Most often, it happened during the first birth.
Data from the archives of the city of Florence for the years 1424, 1425 and 1430 show that 20% of all married women in the city died during childbirth or from a fever. In the English aristocratic families during the period 1330-1479 36% of all boys and 29% of all girls died before reaching the age of 5. Data on mortality of English women in childbirth is 25%.
Historical research also sheds light on infertility. 16-17% of all marriages of ducal families in England of the 14-15th centuries were barren (marriages were taken into account, where both spouses survived to non-fertile age).
1510. A noble woman in labor:
As for the lower classes, here more or less reliable (fragmentary) data on the mortality of women in labor from the poor strata of the population exist only from the 17-18th century. But undoubtedly before that they were as tall, if not even higher than among the noble women in labor. After all, the midwives were not sorceresses. But without their help, mortality would be even higher.
18 century. Male obstetrician in England. It can be seen from the clothes that he could not look at the genitals of the woman in childbirth, he did his work by touch: 
Remuneration of midwives took place in different ways. In most cases, their income was funds received from families of women in childbirth. Therefore, another midwife preferred to visit rich patients, and the poor from time to time to refuse. To avoid this, the magistrates of some rich cities themselves paid a (firm) salary to their midwives. For example, in 1381, the city of Nuremberg paid each midwife a guilder every three months. The city of Bruges paid 12 pennies a day with 270 working days a year. The Ulm authorities issued a law in 1491, where midwives were forbidden to refuse poor patients. But nevertheless, the vast majority of midwives lived off of the payment of their labor by the family of the woman in childbirth with money or “naturals”.
Until the 20th century, there were persistent rumors about midwives in many regions that they also had abortions. And even the reputation of those midwives who never did, suffered from her abortion colleagues. In German, women doing abortions were called Engelmacherin – « making angels". It could be either a professional midwife, or just a housewife deciding to earn extra money in this way. The latter took for the "service" very inexpensively, but they didn’t have any qualifications either. They did abortions sometimes by the most absurd and dangerous methods.
Childbirth with the husband: 
The 18th century (the Age of Enlightenment) made significant changes in science and in the centuries-old way of life. European states began to take control of midwife training. Now they had no right to practice without a license. A license can only be obtained after a training course at the hospital. Hospital patients were mostly single and other pregnant women without livelihoods. In exchange for a shelter and a table, they agreed to become objects of study for doctors, students, and future midwives.
Noble women always gave birth at home, often under the supervision of several midwives.
Scene in the hospital (frame from the movie "Midwife"):
Undoubtedly, it was very humiliating. These women were treated unceremoniously, like with experimental rabbits. But on the other hand, without this experience in hospitals and the mistakes of doctors, it was impossible to move medicine forward. It is to these nameless women that we owe the fact that in the 21st century death of a woman in childbirth or a child is extremely rare.
The midwives, especially the elderly and experienced, were very unhappy with the fact that they were required to license them. They were offended that some young beardless doctor, yesterday’s student, who saw the pregnant woman only in the picture, would examine her and tell her how to give birth. And even worse - to have the right to check her bag for “prohibited” funds.
Mid 20th Century. Rural midwife (Germany):
Gradually, the rights of midwives were curtailed. And not because of the church, but because of the medical authority of male doctors. With birth complications, they increasingly began to call a doctor. By the end of the 19th / beginning of the 20th centuries, giving birth to doctors was simply safer, as (doctors!) Discoveries were made in the field of anesthesia, asepsis and antiseptics, which made it possible to successfully perform a cesarean section. Maternal mortality has decreased significantly.
Rural midwife:
It is worth noting that in remote regions, the role of midwives was often taken by neighbors or relatives, for whom this was not the main craft, they did this from time to time. After all, professionally trained midwives in the countryside were sorely lacking, and there were many and often given birth. And while the self-taught did not charge for their services, they did not conflict with the law. Problems began only if they began to charge for their services - this was allowed only after studying at a school of midwives and receiving a diploma and license.
First swim:
But in the countryside, midwives, until the middle of the 20th century, remained authorities in the field of obstetric care.
The beginning of the 20th century. Rural midwife (country?) 
History has preserved the names of some famous midwives.
Marie-Louise Bourgeois presents the French court a newborn Dauphin, the future Louis 13th:
Marie-Louise Bourgeois also took birth with Gabriel d’Estre, favorites of King Henry IV.
Justina Siegemund (1636-1705), the court midwife of the Prussian court, wrote several illustrated manuals.
Page from the book of Justina Siegemund:
Below are two films where the rivalry of doctors and midwives is especially clearly shown 200 years ago.
Die Hebamme - Auf Leben und Tod/ "Midwife - not for life, but for death" (2010) with Brigitte Hobmeier in the title role. Tyrol, 1813 ... On the everyday life of a midwife in a mountain alpine village. Based on real events two centuries ago, when the midwife lost her license for not conducting emergency baptism". The film is completely on YouTube (1.5 hours in German). There, in the first minute of the film, when the midwife collects her suitcase, one can see the needles with a ribbon for turning the fetus over.
With full equipment for childbirth - to the woman in childbirth:
Clarification of relations by the husband of the woman in childbirth:
Problems with the Catholic Church:
Hospital and students:
The “human material” for hospitals was lower women.
Another movie ...
"Die Hebamme"/ "Midwife" (2014) starring Josephine Preuss. Marburg, the end of the 18th century ... The film tells about a young girl who is studying at a school for midwives.
A student at an obstetric school is shocked by the demonstration of childbirth in front of medical students:
Pupils of the midwives school had to wash the floors in the hospital:
Hood. Midwife movie (2014)
Gesa has had only one goal since childhood: one day she will become as good a midwife as her mother. Her early death makes the girl move to the "maternity hospital" of Marburg. It is there, in inhuman conditions, that the respected professor Kilian teaches the art of midwives. His violent methods quickly provoke a spirit of resistance in Ges. At the same time, she is increasingly showing sympathy for the professor of anatomy, Dr. Clemens Heuser. A mysterious series of suicides keeps the city in suspense.
Nowadays, medicine promises women the most safe birth, which can lead to death only in isolated cases. However, in antiquity this was not so. The woman understood that childbirth posed a great danger to her. Many were afraid to give birth, because they knew that almost every second woman in labor dies from blood loss or infections. MIR 24 tells how pregnancy was determined in the era of the ancient world and in Russia, reacted to infertility and gave birth.
Ancient Greece
Photo: Basalt figure of a woman giving birth. Photo: bas-reliefimage of childbirth in ancient Greece
In ancient Greece, the definition of pregnancy was based on completely objective signs - the presence of nausea, vomiting, weakness, lack of appetite and menstrual flow. The relationship between the termination of critical days and the onset of pregnancy was first formulated by the famous ancient Greek healer Hippocrates . It is known that 9 of the 72 scientific writings of the doctor were devoted to female diseases and obstetrics. However, deep knowledge did not prevent the healer from coming up with yet another, completely insane by modern standards way of determining pregnancy. Hippocrates offered his patients a special solution. To prepare it, it was necessary to crush anise, mix it with honey and dissolve in water. Having drunk this drink, the pregnant woman should certainly have felt abdominal cramps. If she did not feel them, then replenishment in the family should not have been expected.
Hippocrates also prudently proposed two methods for determining the sex of a child. The healer believed that the complexion of a woman in childbirth could indicate not only her well-being, but also the baby’s gender.
The pallor of her face indicated that a girl would appear, and a healthy pink blush indicated the birth of a boy.
Also, the sex of the child could be checked in the direction of the nipples of the woman in labor. Nipples directed downward confirmed that a woman would have a girl, and upward a boy.
Before reproduction of the child's light, a woman in labor in Ancient Greece was supposed to kneel. It was believed that such a situation could ease the agony of a woman. Obstetric care was provided only with very difficult births. In other cases, the midwife was only required to cut the umbilical cord. Over time, midwives became a separate social class. They transmitted valuable knowledge about obstetrics from generation to generation.
Ancient Rome
Photo: Ancient Roman bas-relief image of a midwife (midwife)
What tricks did the Romans go to in antiquity in order to acquire offspring! So, pregnant Roman women generously decorated themselves with amber accessories. It was believed that this stone is able to help a woman safely carry the fetus and undergo pregnancy.
If the spouse was suddenly barren, the Roman patrician could calmly borrow a prolific woman from another family.
To ease the torment of the woman in labor, the midwives of Ancient Rome brought special aromatic substances to her nose and waited for her to sneeze. The Romans were convinced that the reflex could help push the baby out of the womb. Since anesthesia has not yet been invented, caesarean section was done only for women who died during childbirth.
After birth, the baby was first shown Pater Familias, the father of the family, the oldest member of the family. He confirmed the legitimacy of the baby with a special ritual - he took him in his arms and lifted him above his head. Since it was important for the family father to acquire an heir, he always looked forward to hearing about the birth of the boy. Girls could not inherit the throne.
Because of the high mortality rate, the Romans feared that the baby might die shortly after giving birth, therefore the baby was given a name only when they were finally convinced of its viability - a week after birth.
In ancient Rome, lived and worked as the main opponent of Hippocrates in the vicissitudes of gynecology Soran of Ephesus , better known as the founder of pediatrics. Soran denied Hippocrates that a six-month-old fetus was more likely to survive than a seven-month-old fetus. A ripe fruit is always more viable, Soran believed. He also advocated the rejection of gross obstetric care and developed the rules for breastfeeding newborns. Soran adopted professionalism from midwives. He was not embarrassed that in ancient Rome, women were taught primarily the secrets of obstetrics. Having gained experience, he taught more than one generation of midwives the correct turn on the leg and the extraction of the fetus.
Ancient Egypt
Photo: Ancient Egyptian Murals
The Egyptians, like the Romans, were particularly interested in whether the chosen one was barren. The test for pregnancy was ordinary cereal seedlings, which the woman should urinate on. In such an exotic way, at the same time, you could find out the gender of the unborn child. If wheat sprouted first, then a girl should have been born, and if barley, then a boy. The Egyptians believed that the urine of a pregnant woman contained a special hormone, therefore, in 70% of cases, her urine accurately showed the presence of pregnancy.
Egyptian women gave birth while squatting. Feet should be placed on two maternity bricks, decorated with paintings depicting various deities. The process of childbirth was accompanied by magical rituals, the participants of which called for help to the mother of the gods, depicted on bricks. If the birth was difficult, the woman had to fumigate with incense.
The Egyptians considered the goddess Taurt to be the main patroness of women in labor and newborns. Usually she was depicted as a female hippo or crocodile with lion legs, a rounded belly and magnificent breasts.
The image of Taurt was often found on amulets worn by women in childbirth, as well as in small chapels that the Egyptians erected near the dwellings in honor of the goddess. During numerous excavations in Ancient Egypt, archaeologists have repeatedly found statues of Taurt made of ceramics and faience. However, the cult of the prolific goddess did not spread to temples and pyramids.
Russia
Photo: wikipedia.org / The New Family Member, (1890), The New Acquaintance, (1885) / Karl Johann Lemoch
It was customary to give birth in Russia in a bathhouse. It was believed that only there, a woman in labor was provided with a calm atmosphere and cleanliness. Before giving birth, the walls and floor of the bath must have been whitewashed.
Midwives (commonly referred to as umbilical cutters) were irreplaceable companions of women in labor and women suffering from infertility. They used medicinal herbs to stimulate the birth process, treat infertility and restore the body after childbirth, so it was very important for them to have witchcraft wisdom.
The commoner could not always afford obstetric services. Hiring a midwife, as a rule, could only be secured to know. The court midwives helped the princes (and later the kings and emperors) to choose a healthy and chaste bride. All the midwives were subjected to a rigorous medical examination.
A woman who was weakened after giving birth was not allowed to sleep, because, according to popular belief, the mother could be replaced by devils during sleep. If a woman could not be born for a long time, methods that are unlikely to come to mind of modern obstetrician-gynecologists were used.
To relieve birth pains, village healers could, for example, sprinkle sugar on the birth canal.
So u Mikhail Bulgakov in "Notes of a young doctor" there is an indicative monologue of the midwife in which she tells how the village healer tried to "lure" the baby with the help of the refinery:
“I feel something incomprehensible under my fingers in the birth canal ... It’s crumbly, then pieces ... It turns out - refined sugar! Sorceress taught. Childbirth, she says, is difficult. The baby does not want to go out into the light of God. Therefore, you need to lure him. So they, therefore, lured him to the sweet! ”
“Three times they brought us women in childbirth. The poor woman lies and spits. The whole mouth is full of bristles. There is a sign that childbirth will go easier. "
Women were able to retrain from homegrown midwives to professional midwives only in 1757. The first training courses for professional midwives were opened in Moscow and St. Petersburg, where students, as expected, passed exams and received admission to work.
Now there is a lot of talk about how in the old days the life of a pregnant woman and a woman who recently gave birth was arranged. There is an opinion that pregnant women and those who gave birth like cheese in oil skated. The supporters of the so-called natural births, long breast-feeding and joint sleep are especially guilty of inventing all kinds of fables. But what was the reality like?
Alas, none of this happened. As a rule, women learned about pregnancy quite late, since the only reliable sign that a woman was pregnant was a clear movement of the fetus. That is, when a woman stopped “shirtless”, she assumed that she was “heavy”, but they talked about the pregnancy that took place only after the fetus began to move.
The fact that supposedly treated pregnant in Russia with reverence, is a myth. Pregnancy was often perceived as a hindrance and always as something completely mundane: think, suffered, a bad deed is not tricky. Pregnancy was not perceived as a sacrament; it was a natural process that cost no more attention than a slight runny nose. In the old days, it was believed that a woman could have a miscarriage only for two reasons: because of sins or “did”, and not from hard work, so the pregnant woman did not receive any concessions, she continued to work hard and hard, fulfilling all her household chores. As historians testify, often a woman went to give birth, throwing linen in a trough or an unbridled dough. As for childbirth in the field, which admirers of the natural way of life so love to talk about, it is, of course, an illusion that women put aside the sickle, gave birth, and immediately jumped to their feet to continue work - “nothing”, and that’s all supposedly were healthy and strong. 
Despite the fact that such childbirth was not uncommon, not a single sane woman wanted to resolve herself in the field. Yes, there were cases of childbirth right in the stack, but that was not the norm. If the beginning of the homeland made the woman in the field, then she tried to get home, so that the birth took place in more suitable conditions. Well, if there was a cart, they could take her to the hut, however, it happened that the woman who was shaken in the cart gave birth right in her. In other cases, the woman in labor reached the house on foot. Those in the field gave birth to those who did not manage to run home. There were births and on the river bank while rinsing clothes, it happened that women managed to give birth during the "shopping" - at the fair.
The midwife took birth, she is a midwife. This is a woman who has mastered the obstetric art and helps women in labor. The midwife supervised the entire process of childbirth, which could last several days, if necessary, took measures to correct the position of the fetus, to accelerate the birth, swaddled the born baby - believed, from which, in fact, the name of these ancient midwives - midwives. By the way, the obligatory postpartum recovery course included the birth of the puerperal mother - the grandmother took her to the bath two or three days later, where the steamed woman was “ruled by her stomach” and then for several hours, and if necessary for several days — tightly pulled with cloth bandages - this served as the prevention of hernias and prolapse of the uterus. But swaddling did not always save from this disaster.
How did the birth take place?
Realizing that the time has come for the woman to give birth, the mother-in-law, the mother or another woman in the family sent someone or herself went for the midwife. Again, out of fear that unclean forces could harm a woman in childbirth, they went in a roundabout way and the grandmother called not in plain text, but allegorically: "If you had come to see our cow, you would have promised that you wouldn’t go." Midwives were valued at about ten cents, one bread and one pie. If the mother-in-law was stingy, and it was not possible to agree on the price, then the woman had to give birth without more or less qualified help.
The Reaper, K. Makovsky
A woman in labor was usually taken to a heated bath - the cleanest room in the courtyard. Those who didn’t have a bathhouse because of poverty gave birth right in the hut. There, in a midwife society, a woman in labor experienced a period of labor. There were many tricks to speed up childbirth. A woman usually endured contractions while standing: she was placed in the doorway and forced to hang on a timber or on a reins thrown over a timber. If the process dragged on, then a woman in labor could be circled around the table three times, forced to blow into a bottle, knock over on a board (put on a wide board and sharply move from head to foot down), forced to climb the ladder to the hayloft and go down, suddenly roll a bucket of ice water, or persuaded other women to break into the bath abruptly, shouting “We're burning! Fire! ”While pounding with rolling pins in the trough.
If things were really bad, then they sent a priest to the prayer and opened the Royal Gates - the latter was considered especially effective. There was no question of a Caesarean section for a simple peasant woman. If after childbirth the placenta did not leave well, then the woman shoved her fingers in her mouth or her hair - it was believed that the vomiting that occurs with this contributes to the separation of the placenta. It is not surprising that with such obstetric care in Russia before the revolution, every seventh birth ended in the death of a woman. So talking about giving birth easily in the old days is also nothing more than a fiction.
Men were never present at childbirth. The exception was cases if it was required to carry out some manipulations with the woman in labor, for example, to raise her on the board. Only then could they call for help men who, after providing the necessary assistance, immediately left. Such a whim as joint birth could not have occurred to anyone.
The newborn's cord was bandaged with linen thread and cut, in some areas it was customary for the midwife to cut the umbilical cord. Only city dwellers could afford to invite a doctor for childbirth, provided that they were solvent. About such luxury as childbirth in a maternity hospital, there was no question. The catch is that the very first maternity hospital appeared in Russia in Moscow in 1764 and was intended not for the comfort of women in labor and newborns, but in order to reduce the number of “street” births for walking women, who then usually threw their newborns into the sewers or landfill. To give birth in such a maternity hospital was a shame for a respectable woman, therefore, before the beginning of the 20th century, they gave birth exclusively at home.
The woman was allowed to lie for three days, after a difficult birth - up to nine days, then she was lifted, and the same midwife "walked around". However, this was only possible in large families where there was someone to replace a woman with. In rich families, women in labor were relieved of work for the entire postpartum period - six weeks. If the family lived apart, their home, without relatives, then the mother was forced to get up almost an hour after giving birth and start normal household chores. If childbirth was in the summer, then after three days, a maximum of a week later, the woman was already in the field: it was believed that labor contributed to the quickest recovery. Because of this, many women received a lot of postpartum complications in the form of hernias, bleeding, and prolapse of the uterus. The only help they received came from fellow villagers: for a week or two, they went to the puerpera to congratulate the newborn and without fail brought food with them, which made it possible to at least somehow ease her housework.
Contrary to popular belief, the baby was not applied to the breast immediately after birth. Colostrum was usually expressed - it was considered "bad", "witch's milk" that could bring the baby ailment. They were breast-fed whenever possible, as the employment of the mother allowed. Often a woman asked to feed her baby a relative or neighbor who was not so busy with the housework. If conditions allowed, women tried to breastfeed for as long as possible, “until the child is ashamed,” but not for the sake of feeding, but in order not to become pregnant, according to the results of surveys of peasant women in the 19th century in 80% of women, at least once per day breast-feeding children, critical days were absent for three to four, and, as it happened, seven years. At that time, breastfeeding was a fairly reliable way of protection.
Of course, there could be no question of any culture of sexual relations. According to the testimony of historians of those times when, how and how much a man always decided. And in this matter, again, the consumer attitude towards women prevailed. Husbands climbed to satisfy their lust, completely ignoring the well-being and condition of the woman: neither critical days, nor pregnancy, nor recent birth, nor fatigue were the reasons to “wait”. He wants - she owes. In this situation, marital duty often turned into the most ordinary gross violence. And there was nothing surprising in the fact that often a woman, barely giving birth, after a month or two again turned out to be a “belly”, and everything repeated in a circle ...
The birth of a child in Russia was considered a special sacrament, opening the doors between worlds. It, like death, marked the transition of the soul from the world beyond, unknown to man, to the real, physically tangible.
When a woman felt the approach of childbirth, she secretly read a maternity prayer or wrote it on a sheet (if she was literate) and, wrapping herself in a hat, passed it on to the priest. None of the outsiders should have known about this so that nothing dashing would happen.
Preparation for childbirth
Usually during pregnancy, women in Russia worked a lot, even in the later stages. Physical activity was not only forced (it was necessary to take care of the family), but also desirable. Experienced midwives, mothers and mother-in-law advised expectant mothers to move a lot. This was considered the key to an easy birth. A woman in Russia usually worked until the first fights. As soon as they started, older women began to cook a bath and sent for the midwife.
Even in pre-Christian Russia, the tradition of saying goodbye to a woman in childbirth at that moment was widespread, because there was a high probability of a fatal outcome of childbirth. Also, Slavs often gave birth outside the house, somewhere in the field, a grove. This was due to the fact that a woman in labor during moments of severe pain could swear, swear, and this "polluted" the atmosphere of the house. The most optimal place for the birth of a child was considered a bath. In addition, it was possible to give birth in the most severe frost.
Before giving birth, the walls of the bath were thoroughly washed from the inside to white. Be sure to light candles in front of the icon and read a prayer. A belt (sash) was tied to the gates, which a woman could hold on to during attempts. The bath was heated hotly so that the future mother and newborn would be warm. The woman was surely braided, and all the knots were untied on her clothes. This was necessary in order for the uterus to open and the woman's body to release the baby. By analogy with the nodes in the house, all the locks, chests, chests were opened.
Birth
A woman could give birth while lying down, but more often this happened on his haunches or even standing, in a bent position. The woman in labor had her head to the washstand. The best midwife was considered an elderly woman with extensive experience in this field. It is imperative that she herself have healthy children. It is best that there are more boys, because in Russian families the birth of a son was more desirable.
The future father had to remove his boots from the right foot of the wife giving birth. Then he should bring her a tub of clean spring water, and then untie the belt on her sundress. A husband could be present during the process itself, but many men tried not to disturb their wives and not embarrass them. But they were always somewhere nearby, in an adjacent room.
According to the old tradition, a man had to moan during childbirth and scream, as if taking upon himself part of the pain of his wife. At the same time, he attracted the attention of various evil spirits, which has the custom of approaching a woman in labor or a newborn. The man seemed to take a blow at himself.
The midwife led the whole process. She told the woman in labor how to behave, reassured her and directed her. When the baby was born, she bit 3 times the umbilical cord and spit it over her left shoulder, while reading a plot against an umbilical hernia. The boy cut the umbilical cord on an ax to grow up as a skilled host. To the girl - on the spindle, so that she becomes a good spinner and needlewoman.
“Mom needs to be strong. The Spartans believed that only a strong mother would give birth to a strong warrior. By today's standards, if a woman on the run develops a speed of more than four of her growths per second, if she raises her legs from a vis to the horizontal bar 5-10 times in a row and can pull herself up to the chin, this promises an easier, faster and painless delivery.
It’s useful for a future mother not only to “walk in the fresh air”, but also to run, swim, and do special gymnastics. ”
Is every expectant mother capable of this today? It is hardly possible when you consider that today most women have a "sedentary" work and lead a sedentary lifestyle.
We consider ourselves advanced and enlightened. Many processes in our lives are almost completely automated and put on stream. We live in the age of technology. And the birth of children is also somewhat similar to conveyor production: from the moment of conception (and in some cases to it) - you immediately fall into the stream. First, a regular visit to the antenatal clinic, courses for expectant mothers, the choice of a clinic for childbirth, clothes for pregnant women, yoga for pregnant women, cosmetics for pregnant women, aqua aerobics and gymnastics for pregnant women, then baby yoga, recovery procedures, etc. - what is not the conveyor?
Everything seems to be logical, because pregnancy is a special condition of a woman, but why then did it become more difficult to give birth?
I. Panov "Waiting." 2005 year
Today, the number of complex and artificial births, premature babies has increased significantly. And this is despite the fact that medicine seems to be stepping forward.
Perhaps in this matter it is worth turning to the experience of past generations and taking a step back to understand what is the matter?
As you know, before almost every family was large. And it was not three children, as it is today, but 7, 9, 12 and more children. Caesarean section has not yet been used, as well as anesthesia, and other "auxiliary" means. Women "worked" almost every year, giving birth to a child. And far from always their work was facilitated. What can we say about maternity leave, benefits, dairy cuisine and affordable baby food. But was it all necessary before?
Motherhood suggests recalling how our great-grandmothers gave birth.
Pain yesterday and today
“A continuous survey of peasants and women engaged in hard physical work (in Czechoslovakia) showed that 14% of women gave birth without any pain at all, most considered the pain“ quite tolerable ”, and only a few called it severe. When European doctors went to the Indians of North America, they found out that there women are expecting a baby with joy and usually giving birth is easy and without pain. If we take into account that the birth of babies in animals also, as a rule, does not cause mothers suffering, the conclusion suggests itself: European women are simply told by pain talk that childbirth is painful. ”
From the book of B. P. and L. A. Nikitin “We, our children and grandchildren” (1978-1988)
They say that the decisive influence on the course of labor and the onset of pain is the setting of the woman in labor, her general mood. Facilitates the process and the idea that this pain carries good goals. Anesthetists believe that pain that is not considered harmful is easier to tolerate.
A lot of research has been devoted to pain during childbirth. Observations on the tribes of the Indians of North America are interesting, where a woman in labor often just stopped her horse, spread a warm cloak right in the snow and calmly gave birth to a child. Then she wrapped a newborn in a rag, mounted her horse again and caught up with her fellow tribesmen, who did not always notice that she had just given birth. This phenomenon was confirmed during the Second World War, when women in German forced labor camps came to the doctor’s office immediately after work, gave birth quite easily, and returned to work after a few hours. Scientists explain it this way: in the framework of harsh living conditions and the need to survive in harsh environmental conditions, women do not allow themselves to manifest patrimonial fears and complexes, which ensures an easy nature of the course of pregnancy and mostly painless childbirth.
In the 1940s, childbirth was transferred to a hospital, where a woman in childbirth becomes “sick,” not in need of human warmth and support, but in the clear help of a surgeon and anesthesiologist.
As before giving birth
In the old days, the birth of a child, despite its apparent simplicity, was surrounded by a mass of customs, signs and ceremonies. Many of them have found a scientific explanation today and are quite applicable.
Birth place
Many people remember the stories that peasant women gave birth directly in the field, in the crib or in the bathhouse. Much less common are references to childbirth at home. This is due to the belief that the place of birth is considered unclean.
An interesting assumption about the reason for the uncleanness of the maternity ward is not only in sanitary conditions, but in the fact that women during fights and attempts could swear.
The bath was considered the most suitable for childbirth. Before childbirth, its wooden walls and floor were cleaned white and steamed in a certain sequence so that childbirth was easy.
18th Century Maternity Chair
Pose for childbirth
Adaptations, chairs for childbirth were invented by doctors more for their convenience than for the comfort of a woman in labor.
There were no such designs before. The midwife, who served as a doctor and midwife in one person, advised the birth pose. They say that simple peasant women more often gave birth while standing, or squatting, often holding hands on a bench or other support. While ladies from high society gave birth lying.
Other ethnic groups also have “active” poses during childbirth: in Holland, the bride’s dowry included a special chair for childbirth, the ancient Egyptian women squatted on a special sacred stone, in Japan there were also cases of childbirth while sitting with a bunch of straw, some people practiced joint birth - on her husband’s lap.
How to facilitate childbirth
To facilitate the process of childbirth, there was a belief - to open everything so that the baby came easier to this world. To this end, they opened doors and windows, drawers, stove dampers, untied each knot on the clothes of women in labor, and untied their hair.
In China, an umbrella was opened next to the woman in labor, and in India she was given the key.
They tried to report birth only by a midwife, without dedicating outsiders to it - they were afraid of the “evil eye”. The midwife made her way into the house with vegetable gardens so as not to attract attention.
During childbirth, wedding candles were lit in front of the icons.
Sometimes, in order to relieve tension, the woman in labor was allowed to chew on her own hair. There is a mention of this in M. A. Bulgakov in the story “Notes of a young doctor”: “Three times they brought us women in labor. The poor woman lies and spits. The whole mouth is full of bristles. There is a sign that childbirth will go easier. "
Village "grandmothers" sometimes abundantly sprinkled sugar on the birth canal - so that the child, feeling sweet, would soon be born. At the same place with Bulgakov: “... I’m coming to a woman in labor ... Well, of course, I’m researching, I feel something incomprehensible under my fingers in the birth canal: now it’s crumbly, then it’s slices ... It turns out that refined sugar! ... The sorceress taught. Childbirth, she says, is difficult. The baby does not want to go out into the light of God. Therefore, you need to lure him. So they, therefore, lured him to the sweet! ”
Mom was not allowed to sleep after childbirth, since it was believed that if she fell asleep, the devils could replace the baby.
KV Lemokh "A new member of the family." 1880s
Newborn
The umbilical cord was usually tied up with maternal hair, as if connecting the mother with the baby. Then the pulsating umbilical cord was cut off.
The midwife performed the prototype of the baby yoga that is popular today: she smoothed the arms, legs, tummy, and the “rules” of the head.
If a weak child was born, then he was sent to "bake" in the oven. The fact is that the mother’s womb was considered a kind of oven. And if the baby "did not bother to", then he was thrice placed on the shovel inside the cooling furnace, believing that now he will be stronger and stronger.
Then the baby was washed. This was done in special water, prepared in a special way: using salt, a chicken egg and a silver coin: from diseases, to be white and clean, for wealth. At the same time, they sentenced: “Grandmother didn’t soap for trickery, not for wisdom, Soap for the sake of a good health, Washed away the sanctuary, natural boundary, and a paragon (different types of evil eye). Flowing little vodka, Anyushka rostucha, Vodushka into the ground, Anyushka up. " After that, water was poured onto the hut outside - at the corner where the icons were. They tried to splash higher, as they believed that the growth of the baby depends on this.
Today they turn to osteopaths for help. Earlier, the midwife’s grandmother herself did postpartum massage - she adjusted the spool (in the language of the healers, the uterus is called), “put in place” the internal organs. It is possible that, including these manipulations, became the cause of maternal mortality, which, as you know, was high. Modern doctors categorically forbid any massage of the abdomen for two months after childbirth.
In various provinces, there were traditions of burying under the wall of a house or under a tree, in some it was necessary to bury her father and in this place to plant a tree. It was necessary to bury it in a special way, observing centuries-old traditions.
Joint birth
Joint labor is said to be far from a newfangled novelty. In the old days, if the father was not on a hunt or on a long journey, he also took part in the process of procreation: he untied the belt, watered his wife with water, and, with severe pain, touched her knee on her back. It is interesting, but today, in order to remove the load from the spine, they are taught at special courses of the future father.
A newborn child was wrapped in his father’s shirt - so that “Dad would love”, and then in his father’s sheepskin coat - so that he was rich. At the same time, the shirt was removed directly from the father so that she retained her native smell.
Father himself was treated to porridge with salt and pepper and sentenced: "Solono and bitterly give birth."
At the same time, the father was not present at the birth of all ancient peoples. This was not, for example, in China and Ancient Rome. There, all the household members left the house during childbirth.
Epiphany
Earlier in Russia, a child is usually on the ninth day from birth (often before). On this day, he gained his name. If they could not baptize during this period, then they tried not to leave the child unattended for a minute. Until the baptism, all the children were called Bogdans. Hence the popular saying: "Born, not baptized, so Bogdashka."
It was believed that after baptism, the baby becomes healthier. It is worth mentioning that the baby in the font was dipped in cool water, thereby triggering the body's defensive reactions.
There were others associated with the sacrament of baptism. For example, it was believed that if a swim with a cut strand of hair, it means that the child will be healthy, spinning - fortunately, and if he drowns - this is a bad sign. This is mentioned by L. N. Tolstoy in the novel "War and Peace": "... The nanny informed him that the waxed little hair thrown into the font did not drown, but swam across the font."
A good sign was the cry of the child when lowering into the font.
The cap was not removed after baptism for 12 whole days. Baptismal clothes were not further used, but left for baptism of other children so that they were friendly with each other.
A. Venetsianov "On the Harvest. Summer"
After giving birth - right in the field?
Of course, according to modern ideas, in Russia there was no maternity leave. But the idea that the fields correspond most likely to the last century, while before the 20th century this was far from the case.
At the beginning of the 12th century, the granddaughter of Vladimir Monomakh, Eupraxia, wrote a treatise on feminine hygiene, which states that a pregnant woman should beware of fatigue, and after the work of her homeland, it is important for her to rest and keep her body clean - to wash in the bath every three days. A nursing mother should be helped in every way possible - to relieve from hard work and give additional nutrition.
“Failure to comply with this basic hygiene rule may entail, at least, incorrectness in the position of the uterus, causing suffering for the rest of my life, not to mention other diseases.”This is a quote from the pre-revolutionary book of V. Zhuk “Mother and Child”.
G. Ploss described in his three-volume entitled “Woman” approaches to the postpartum period in different nations, where he noted that in the absence of rest at the puerperas "... due to leaving the bed too early, omissions and changes in the position of the uterus, prolapse of the vagina, etc. develop, which subsequently serve as a constant source of disease and premature frailty."
Excerpt from the book of V. Berdinsky "Peasant Civilization in Russia": “... And after giving birth, women in labor are laid on the floor on rye straw, where they lie for a week. All this time, every day, twice a day, the bathhouse warms up, where she walks in the most tattered clothes with a crutch in her hand to show that it was not easy for her to give birth - to avoid “lessons”, which makes her sick. Returning from the bathhouse, you need to rely on the shoulder of the midwife or husband. ”
Quotation from the brochure “Self-Healing and Skotolechenie Russian old-timed population of Siberia”: “For three days, while the woman is giving birth to three baths, she must lie in bed. After three days, depending on the state of her health, her grandmother either leaves her in bed or advises “to take small steps in the hut so that the blood does not stagnate”. Others lie in bed up to five, even up to nine “den”, if there is someone to “go home” ... Six weeks the birth is considered half dead ... That's how these guys get! (...) In fact, according to the rule, as the old old women used to say, she should not be milked for six weeks. Only this is done in large families where there is someone to replace. ”
Postpartum “leave” is important for a woman’s continued health; it increases the chances of a successful next pregnancy and childbirth.
Women in harsh living conditions, for example during wars, who were recently widowed, were forced to go “to the field” almost immediately after giving birth, because someone had to feed the family. Few people know about the consequences of such "early exits." These women then wore a special bandage that ran between the perineum and tied around the shoulder. This device kept the dropping out internal organs.
In the 80s of the last century, the goal was set in Czechoslovakia to prove the benefits of getting up early after childbirth. The women studied were divided into 2 groups: the first rose from bed 2-4 hours after childbirth, and the second after 2-3 days. Staff looked after mothers. On days 7–9, doctors were surprised to note the fact that in the second group, with longer periods, women had fewer postpartum complications and felt better physically and emotionally.
But who looked after the young mother after childbirth? Do not forget about the midwife, who also helped after childbirth: there were a number of traditions according to which a woman was “cleaned and relaxed”, she was set up for a new role in her life - mothers. The neighbors who came to help with the housework and brought ready food with them also helped.
According to Tatyana Gshvend, a perinatal teacher, everyone tried to pursue a common goal - to help a young woman, support her, give her resources for a speedy emotional and physical recovery.
In the past centuries, the level of medical care was significantly lower than now. Affected by lack of hygiene, and frequent epidemics and other disasters, often leading to increased maternal and child mortality.
But at the same time, it must be recognized that in general, the level of health, physical strength and strength of mothers was quite high. Constant physical activity, fresh air and natural products contributed to an increase in the body's defenses. Alas, many of us today are deprived of all this, which affects, inter alia, the course of pregnancy and childbirth.
Let’s try to take the best from the experience of our ancestors, while not rejecting the achievements of modern medicine, which great-grandmothers sometimes lacked so much!
