How women used to give birth in Slavic times. Childbirth in ancient Rus'. Planning and period of pregnancy

As you know, before almost every family had many children. And it was not three children, as today, but 7, 9, 12 and more children. Caesarean section had not yet been used, as well as anesthesia, and other "auxiliary" means. Women "worked" almost every year, giving birth to a child. And not always their work was facilitated. What to say about maternity leave, allowances, dairy cuisine and affordable baby food.

In the old days, the birth of a child, despite its apparent simplicity, was surrounded by a mass of customs, signs and rituals. Many of them today have found a scientific explanation and are quite applicable.

Place for childbirth

Many people remember the stories that peasant women gave birth right in the field, in a barn or in a bathhouse. Much less common are references to childbirth at home. This is due to the fact that the place of birth was considered "unclean".

And the point is not only in sanitary conditions, but in the fact that women during fights and attempts could use foul language. Therefore, the most suitable place bath was considered for childbirth. Before giving birth, her wooden walls and floor were polished white and steamed in a certain sequence so that childbirth was easy.

Posture for childbirth

Devices, chairs for childbirth were invented by doctors more for their own convenience than for the comfort of a woman in labor.

Photo source: materinstvo.ru18th century birthing chair

Previously, there were no such structures. The position for childbirth was advised by the midwife, who acted as a doctor and midwife in one person. They say that simple peasant women often gave birth standing up, or squatting, often holding hands on a bench or other support. Whereas ladies from high society gave birth lying down.

Other ethnic groups also have "active" postures during childbirth. In Holland, the dowry of the bride included a special chair for childbirth, the ancient Egyptians gave birth squatting on a special sacred stone, in Japan there were also cases of childbirth sitting, placing a bundle of straw, some nations practiced joint childbirth - on the knees of her husband.

How to make childbirth easier

To facilitate the process of childbirth, there was a belief - you need to open everything so that the child comes into this world more easily. For this purpose, they opened doors and windows, drawers, stove dampers, untied every knot on the clothes of the woman in labor, and untied her hair.

They tried to report the birth only to the midwife, without devoting strangers to this - they were afraid of the "evil eye". The midwife made her way into the house by 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 her own hair. There is a mention of this by 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 generously sprinkled the birth canal with sugar - so that the child, feeling sweet, would soon be born. In the same place at Bulgakov:

... I come to a woman in labor ... Well, of course, I explore, I feel something incomprehensible under my fingers in the birth canal: now crumbly, then pieces ... It turns out, refined sugar! ... The healer taught. Childbirth, she says, is difficult for her. The baby does not want to go out into God's light. So, you need to lure him out. Here they are, so they lured him out for dessert!

Mom was not allowed to sleep after giving birth, because they believed that if she fell asleep, the devil could replace the baby.

Newborn

The umbilical cord was usually tied with the mother's hair, as if connecting the mother with the baby. Then the umbilical cord that stopped pulsing was cut off.

The midwife performed on the baby the prototype of today's popular baby yoga: she smoothed the arms, legs, tummy, "rules" the head.

Photo source: materinstvo.ruK. V. Lemokh. New family member. 1880s

If a weak child was born, then he was sent for "baking" in the oven. The fact is that the mother's womb was considered a kind of oven. And if the baby was “not finished”, then he was placed on a shovel inside the cooling oven three times, 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.

At the same time they said:

Grandmother soaped not for cunning, not for wisdom, Soaps for the sake of good health, Washed away the cleanliness, tract, shelter ( different types evil eye). The water is flowing, Anyushka is growing, The water is in the ground, Anyushka is 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 depended on it.

If necessary, the midwife herself set the “spool” (in the language of healers, this is what the uterus is called), “put in place” internal organs. It is possible that these manipulations also caused maternal mortality, which, as you know, was high. Modern doctors categorically prohibit any massage of the abdomen within two months after childbirth.

In various provinces, there were traditions for burying the placenta under the wall of the house or under a tree, in some it was necessary for the father to bury it and plant a tree in this place. It had to be buried in a special way, observing centuries-old traditions.

Joint birth

They say that partner childbirth is by no means 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 childbearing: he untied his belt, gave his wife water to drink, and with severe pain touched her back with his knee.

A newborn child was wrapped in a father's shirt - so that "dad loved", and then in a father's sheepskin coat - so that he was rich. At the same time, the shirt was removed directly from the father so that it retained its native smell.

The father himself was treated to porridge with salt and pepper and sentenced:

Salty and bitter to give birth.

Baptism

Previously, in Rus', a child was usually baptized on the ninth day from birth (often earlier). On this day he acquired his name. If they could not be baptized during this period, then they tried not to leave the child unattended for a minute. Until the moment of baptism, all children were called Bogdans. Hence the popular saying:

Born, not baptized, so Bogdashka.

It was believed that after baptism, the baby becomes stronger in health. It is worth mentioning that the baby in the font was dipped into cool water, thereby triggering the protective reactions of the body.

Photo source: materinstvo.ru

There were "signs" associated with the sacrament of baptism. For example, it was believed that if a lump of wax with a cut off strand of hair floats, then the child will be healthy, spinning - fortunately, and if it drowns, this is a bad sign. This is mentioned by L. N. Tolstoy in the novel "War and Peace":

... The nanny told him that the wax with hairs thrown into the font did not sink, but floated along the font.

A good sign was the cry of a child when lowering into the font.

The bonnet was not removed for 12 days after baptism. Baptismal clothes were not used further, but were left for the baptism of other children, so that they would be friendly with each other.

After childbirth - immediately in the field?

Of course, according to modern ideas, there was no maternity leave in Rus'. But the idea that women went to work in the fields immediately after giving birth is far from being true.

Photo source: materinstvo.ruA. Venetsianov. At the harvest. Summer

At the beginning of the 12th century, the granddaughter of Vladimir Monomakh, Eupraxia, wrote a treatise on female hygiene, which says that a pregnant woman should beware of fatigue, and after a difficult homeland, it is important for her to rest and keep her body clean - to bathe in a bath every three days. A nursing mother should be helped in every possible way - freed from hard work and given additional nutrition.

An excerpt from V. Berdinsky's book "Peasant Civilization in Russia":

... And after giving birth, women in labor are placed on the floor on rye straw, where they lie for a week. During all this time, every day, twice, the bathhouse is warmed up, where she goes in the most tattered clothes with a crutch in her hand to show that the birth was not easy for her - to avoid the “lessons” that can make you sick. Returning from the bath, you need to lean on the shoulder of the midwife or husband.

Quote from the brochure "Self-healing and cattle treatment of the Russian old-timer population of Siberia":

Others lie in bed until five, even up to nine "days", if there is someone to "walk around the house" ... For six weeks, a woman who has given birth is considered half dead ... That's how these guys get it! (...) In fact, she cannot even milk a cow for six weeks. Only this is performed in large families where there is someone to replace.

Women who are in harsh living conditions, for example, during wars, recently widowed, were forced to go “to the field” almost immediately after giving birth, since someone had to feed the family. Few people know about the consequences of such "early exits". These women then wore a special sash that passed between the crotch and tied at the shoulder. This device held the protruding internal organs.

Lack of hygiene, frequent epidemics, lack of medical care greatly affected maternal and child mortality rates in those days.

At the same time, it must be admitted that, in general, the level of health, physical strength and strength of mothers was quite high. constant physical activity, Fresh air and natural products helped to increase the body's defenses. Alas, many of us today are deprived of all this, which affects, among other things, the course of pregnancy and childbirth.

Alexandra Lukashina
materinstvo.ru

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In Russia, until the 18th century, both obstetrics and gynecology were at a lower stage of development than in many other countries, and were not even divided into different branches of medicine. In pagan Rus', pregnant women called on the help of the gods, making sacrifices to them, cast spells, believed in omens and the miraculous power of plants. The most “strong” amulet, by the way, was considered to be overpowered-grass. According to some sources, this is a white river water lily, according to others - St. John's wort, and according to others - a plant from the genus of euphorbia.

Things were a little better with this when Russia had already adopted Christianity: a pregnant woman could only count on the help of the oldest and most experienced woman in her family or a midwife. Here is what the harsh rules of Domostroy prescribed: “Healing should be done by God’s mercy, yes, true repentance, yes thanksgiving, and forgiveness, and mercy, and unfeigned love for everyone.” That's all, and no doctors! At the same time, Russian women continued earnestly, and, oddly enough, modern medicine confirms the correctness of some of these beliefs to one degree or another.

Grandma's superstitions

- A pregnant woman should not eat secretly and in a hurry. Based on logic, a secretly pregnant woman will eat if she, for example, is capable of causing allergies. So is eating in a hurry: food is not mechanically processed enough, which means that nutrients are absorbed worse. All this harms the fetus.

– A pregnant woman should not sit cross-legged. Indeed, in this position, blood circulation in the legs is disturbed, which can lead to varicose veins.

– A pregnant woman should not raise her arms and sleep on her back. Doctors confirm this in some cases for late dates pregnancy: there is a risk premature birth and complications.

– Pregnant women should not wear jewelry made of gold and silver. Here, medicine does not put absolute prohibitions, but still pregnant women are prone to swelling, and they should put off wearing their favorite jewelry “for later”. Indeed, for many expectant mothers, not only the legs, but also the hands swell.

– Pregnant women should not look at deformities, fires, be present at scandals, fights, funerals. You don’t have to be an expert to appreciate the depth of this folk wisdom: negative emotions are completely contraindicated for the expectant mother. She is prescribed psychological comfort. Even pregnant women were strictly forbidden to slander, steal, drink. This prohibition also does not require separate comments.

At the same time, even to this day, they have come down very much, not amenable to any reasonable explanation. For example, why shouldn't a pregnant woman knit, sew and embroider? Or why the expectant mother cannot take care of the dowry for the baby herself in advance?

Ivan the Terrible and obstetrics

In every Russian family - from peasant to boyar - there were always many children, childbirth was repeated from year to year, and therefore was not perceived as some kind of extraordinary event. People rejoiced if the replenishment in the family went well, and they perceived the loss of a baby with philosophical humility. The first attempt to somehow systematize obstetrics was made by the state only at the end of the 16th century.

The "terrible king" did not leave a good memory among the people. Meanwhile, some of his undertakings can be called progressive for their time. So, it was under Ivan the Terrible that the Pharmaceutical order was created. In fact, it is the first state body that manages the healthcare system, including obstetrics. It was determined that men did not have the right to engage in obstetrics, and childbirth should be taken by a midwife or midwife (from “povit” - to take the baby). This one did not yet have the necessary education, but was already based on their own knowledge and knowledge accumulated in their family and transmitted from generation to generation.

midwifery institute

Who could become a midwife? An elderly woman, often a widow, and always a "child". An ancient historian writes: “A girl, although elderly, cannot be a midwife. What kind of grandmother is she, if she did not torture herself? With her, it is difficult to give birth, and the children will not always be alive ... ” The midwife was invited to all difficult births, she necessarily washed and steamed the woman in labor with the newborn in the bath and looked after them for the first days.

The next breakthrough in obstetrics and gynecology occurred already in the middle of the 18th century. In Russia, they began to produce "midwives with a diploma": midwifery institutes and midwifery schools were opened. These special educational institutions trained higher and middle medical personnel in the field of obstetrics. The “midwife” had a higher medical education, in fact she was an obstetrician-gynecologist; The "rural midwife" had a secondary medical education. There were also simply "midwives" - listeners who received a correspondence education. Their work was no longer left to chance, but was strictly regulated by a special charter.

The midwife began by dressing the woman in labor in a clean shirt, giving her baptismal water to drink, and lighting a candle in front of the icons. She strictly ensured that all the knots in the house were untied: from the braids of women to the locks on the doors. Say, so the birth will end faster. Regardless of her professionalism, the midwife provided great psychological assistance to the expectant mother, constantly saying that everything would be fine. She tied up the newborn with a thread twisted with the mother's hair - so that the connection between them remained for life.

Immediately after birth, the midwife performed actions similar to modern baby yoga: she smoothed the baby’s arms, legs, tummy, “rules” the head. If the baby was weak, then the midwife could ... send him to the oven. The newborn was there three times on a wide wooden shovel in the weakest heat. It was a symbolic act: the baby was, as it were, “baked” so that he would grow up healthy and strong.

Not a man's business

So fashionable now could not be dreamed of by our ancestors even in a dream. The husband was instructed to stay away from the giving birth wife, but still be within reach. Because if something goes wrong, then it was he who was supposed to pray fervently and go around the house with images.

And only Peter the Great was able to slightly undermine the established traditions: during his reign, it finally became possible to allow a male doctor to a woman in labor. The great reformer in every possible way attracted European doctors to Russia, issuing a special decree, according to which he obliged foreigners to train our doctors. And besides, gifted youth got the opportunity to study abroad, including medicine. Soon, schools “for medical and surgical practice” were opened in our country, and obstetric education was gradually improved. The first manual “How a woman must support herself during pregnancy, childbirth and after childbirth”, the first textbooks for future obstetrician-gynecologists and the first talented Russian scientists appeared. The most famous name of that time was the theorist and practitioner of obstetrics and gynecology, Nestor Ambodik-Maksimovich, who was the first in our country to use obstetric forceps. But this - new page in the history of obstetric care in Russia, which deserves a separate story.

“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 in running develops a speed of more than four of her heights per second, if from a hang she raises her legs to the horizontal bar 5-10 times in a row and can pull herself up to her chin, then this promises easier, faster and painless childbirth.

It is useful for the expectant mother not only to "walk in the fresh air", but also to run, swim, and do special gymnastics.

Is each future mom today is capable of it? Hardly, considering that today most women have a "sedentary" job and lead a sedentary lifestyle.

We consider ourselves advanced and enlightened. Many processes in our life 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 assembly line production: from the moment of conception (and in some cases even before it) you immediately fall into the stream. First it's a regular visit antenatal clinic, courses for expectant mothers, choosing 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, restorative procedures, etc. - why not a conveyor?

Everything seems to be logical, because pregnancy is a special state of a woman, but why then have we become more difficult to give birth?

I. Panov "Waiting". 2005

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 issue is it 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 had many children. And it was not three children, as today, but 7, 9, 12 and more children. Caesarean section had not yet been used, as well as anesthesia, and other "auxiliary" means. Women "worked" almost every year, giving birth to a child. And not always their work was facilitated. What can we say about maternity leave, benefits, dairy food and affordable baby food. Was it all necessary before?

Motherhood offers to remember how our great-grandmothers gave birth.

Pain yesterday and today

“A continuous survey of peasant women and women engaged in heavy physical work (in Czechoslovakia) showed that 14% of women gave birth without pain at all, the majority considered the pain “quite bearable”, and only a few called it severe. When European doctors went to the Indians of North America, they found out that women there are expecting a baby with joy and usually childbirth is easy and painless. If we consider that in animals, the birth of cubs, as a rule, does not cause suffering to mothers either, then the conclusion suggests itself: European women are simply told by talking about pain 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 attitude of the woman in labor, her general mood, has a decisive influence on the course of labor and the onset of pain. Facilitates the process and the thought that this pain has a good purpose. Pain specialists believe that pain that is not considered harmful is easier to bear.

Much has been devoted to the study of pain during childbirth. It is interesting to observe the tribes of the Indians of North America, where a woman in labor often simply stopped her horse, spread a warm cape right on the snow and calmly gave birth to a child. Then she wrapped the newborn in a rag, mounted the horse again and caught up with her fellow tribesmen, who did not even 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 fairly easily, and went back to work a few hours later. Scholars explain it this way: within the framework of difficult living conditions and the need to survive in harsh natural conditions, women do not allow themselves to show birth fears and complexes, which ensures an easy course of pregnancy and mostly painless childbirth.

In the 1940s, childbirth is transferred to a hospital, where the woman in labor becomes "sick", needing not human warmth and support, but the precise help of a surgeon and an anesthesiologist.

How did you give birth before?

Place for childbirth

Many people remember the stories that peasant women gave birth right in the field, in a barn or in a bathhouse. Much less common are references to childbirth at home. This is due to the belief that the place of birth is considered unclean.

The assumption about the reason for the uncleanness of the maternity place is also interesting - the matter is not only in sanitary conditions, but in the fact that women could use foul language during contractions and attempts.

The bath was considered the most suitable for childbirth. Before giving birth, her wooden walls and floor were polished white and steamed in a certain sequence so that childbirth was easy.

18th century birthing chair

Posture for childbirth

Devices, chairs for childbirth were invented by doctors more for their own convenience than for the comfort of a woman in labor.

Other nationalities also have “active” postures during childbirth: in Holland, the bride’s dowry included a special chair for childbirth, the ancient Egyptians gave birth squatting on a special sacred stone, in Japan there were also cases of childbirth while sitting, placing a bundle of straw, some peoples practiced joint birth - on the lap of her husband.

How to make childbirth easier

To facilitate the process of childbirth, there was a belief - to open everything so that the child would come into this world more easily. For this purpose, they opened doors and windows, drawers, stove dampers, untied every knot on the clothes of the woman in labor, and untied her hair.

In China, an umbrella was opened next to the woman in labor, and in India she was given a key.

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 her own hair. There is a mention of this by 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 generously sprinkled the birth canal with sugar - so that the child, feeling sweet, would soon be born. In Bulgakov’s place: “... I’m coming to a woman in labor... Well, of course, I’m exploring, I feel something incomprehensible under my fingers in the birth canal: now crumbly, then pieces ... It turns out, refined sugar! ... The healer taught. Childbirth, she says, is difficult for her. The baby does not want to go out into God's light. So, you need to lure him out. Here they are, so they lured him out for dessert!

Mom was not allowed to sleep after giving birth, because they believed that if she fell asleep, the devil could replace the baby.

KV Lemokh "A new member of the family". 1880s

Newborn

The umbilical cord was usually tied with the mother's hair, as if connecting the mother with the baby. Then the umbilical cord that stopped pulsing was cut off.

The midwife performed on the baby a prototype of today's popular baby yoga: she smoothed the arms, legs, tummy, "rules" the head.

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, so that it was white and clean, for wealth. At the same time, they said: “Grandma soaped not for cunning, not for wisdom, Soaps for the sake of good health, Washed away the cleanliness, tract, shelter (different types of the evil eye). The water is flowing, Anyushka is growing, The water is in the ground, Anyushka is 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 depended on it.

Today, they turn to osteopaths for help. And earlier, the midwife herself did postpartum massage - she set the spool (in the language of healers, this is what the uterus is called), “put in place” the internal organs. It is possible that these manipulations also caused maternal mortality, which, as you know, was high. Modern doctors categorically prohibit any massage of the abdomen within two months after childbirth.

In various provinces, there were traditions for burying it under the wall of a house or under a tree, in some it was necessary for the father to bury it and plant a tree in this place. It had to be buried in a special way, observing centuries-old traditions.

Joint birth

They say that joint childbirth is by no means 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 childbearing: he untied his belt, gave his wife water to drink, and with severe pain touched her back with his knee. It is interesting, but today, in order to relieve the load from the spine, they teach the future father at special courses.

The father himself was treated to porridge with salt and pepper and sentenced: "Salty and bitter to give birth."

At the same time, the father was present at the birth of not all ancient peoples. This was not the case, for example, in China and Ancient Rome. There, all household members left the house for the time of childbirth.

Baptism

Earlier in Rus', a child is usually on the ninth day from birth (often earlier). On this day he acquired his name. If they could not be baptized during this period, then they tried not to leave the child unattended for a minute. Until the moment of baptism, all children were called Bogdans. Hence the popular saying: "Born, not baptized, so Bogdashka."

There were also those associated with the sacrament of baptism. For example, it was believed that if the hair floats with a cut off strand, then the child will be healthy, spinning - fortunately, and if it drowns - this is a bad sign. This is mentioned by L. N. Tolstoy in the novel "War and Peace": "... The nanny told him that the wax with hairs thrown into the font did not sink, but floated along the font."

A good sign was the cry of a child when lowering into the font.

The bonnet was not removed for 12 days after baptism. Baptismal clothes were not used further, but were left for the baptism of other children, so that they would be friendly with each other.

A. Venetsianov "In the harvest. Summer"

After childbirth - immediately in the field?

Of course, according to modern ideas, there was no maternity leave in Rus'. But the idea of what is in the field is more in line with the last century, while before the 20th century it was far from the case.

At the beginning of the 12th century, the granddaughter of Vladimir Monomakh, Eupraxia, wrote a treatise on female hygiene, which says that a pregnant woman should beware of fatigue, and after the labors of her motherland, 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 possible way - freed from hard work and given additional nutrition.

"Failure to comply with this basic hygiene rule can entail, at least, an irregularity in the position of the uterus, causing suffering for the rest of life, not to mention other diseases. This is a quote from the pre-revolutionary book by V. Zhuk "Mother and Child".

G. Ploss described in his three-volume book entitled "Woman" approaches to the postpartum period in different peoples, where he noted that in the absence of rest in puerperas “... due to leaving the bed too early, prolapse 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.”

An excerpt from V. Berdinsky's book "Peasant Civilization in Russia": “... And after giving birth, women in labor are placed on the floor on rye straw, where they lie for a week. During all this time, every day, twice, the bathhouse is warmed up, where she goes in the most tattered clothes with a crutch in her hand to show that the birth was not easy for her - to avoid the “lessons” that can make you sick. Returning from the bath, you need to lean on the shoulder of the midwife or husband.

Quote from the brochure "Self-healing and cattle treatment of the Russian old-timer population of Siberia": “Three days, while three baths are being made to the woman in labor, she should lie in bed. After three days, depending on the state of her health, her grandmother either leaves her in bed, or advises her to “walk a little around the hut so that the blood does not stagnate.” Others lie in bed until five, even up to nine "days", if there is someone to "walk around the house" ... For six weeks, a woman who has given birth is considered half dead ... That's how these guys get it! (...) In fact, according to the rule, as the old women used to say, she cannot milk a cow for six weeks. Only this is performed in large families, where there is someone to replace.

Postpartum "vacation" is important for the future health of a woman, it increases the chances of a successful next pregnancy and childbirth.

In the 80s of the last century in Czechoslovakia, the goal was to prove the benefits of getting up early after childbirth. The studied women were divided into 2 groups: the first got out of bed 2-4 hours after birth, and the second after 2-3 days. The staff took care of the mothers. On the 7th-9th day, doctors were surprised to state the fact that in the second group - with a longer lying down, women had fewer postpartum complications, they 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 “cleansed and relaxed”, adjusted to a new role in her life - mothers. Helped and neighbors who came to help with the housework and brought with them ready-made food.

According to Tatyana Gshvend, a perinatal teacher, everyone tried to pursue a common goal - to help the young woman, support her, give her resources for a speedy emotional and physical recovery.

In past centuries, the level of medical care was much lower than it is now. There was also a lack of hygiene, and frequent epidemics and other disasters, often leading to an increase in maternal and child mortality.

But at the same time, it must be admitted that, in general, the level of health, physical strength and strength of mothers was quite high. Constant physical activity, fresh air and natural products helped to increase the body's defenses. Alas, many of us today are deprived of all this, which affects, among other things, the course of pregnancy and childbirth.

Let's try to take the best from the experience of our ancestors, without at the same time rejecting the achievements of modern medicine, which great-grandmothers sometimes lacked so much!

In ancient times, the most difficult thing in a woman's life was the birth of a child. Due to worries about the positive completion of the birth process, relatives and the pregnant woman were forced to hide the fact of bearing the fetus from prying eyes. The expectant mother was protected and temporarily freed from housework. But in the villages, it used to be that in the old days they gave birth even in the field at work or by the river for washing.

Planning and period of pregnancy

As soon as conception took place, the woman tried everything possible ways hide position. This was especially true of villages and villages, where such an event was a huge news. Since then, when a rounded tummy was visible, those around him spread the news around the village. Then a pregnant woman began to be treated more favorably, they did not give hard work, but she had certain duties.

Men did not give due attention to the process of bearing, because they considered it a female burden. There were cases that the husband of the woman in labor was completely immersed in childbirth.

People considered the expectant mother to have supernatural powers and possess magic. Women were bypassed due to the fact that when carrying two souls inside, mother was compared with an unclean spirit.

Starting from the third trimester, the pregnant woman had no right to participate in wedding processions, christenings and funerals. There were warnings that a woman could not ignore. It is impossible to step over the yoke, so that the hump of the child does not grow, do not step over the fruits, do not have a miscarriage and do not walk on sharp objects, do not call for a heavy homeland.

It was forbidden to walk on ropes and rods, as a child could be born wrapped in an umbilical cord. Future mothers did not offend cats and dogs, otherwise the baby will show birthmarks with wool inside. They did not prepare clothes for the newborn in advance, even for the first time.

A couple of days before giving birth, the woman began to take off her clothes and jewelry. On the expected day of delivery, she remained in her nightgown. As a rule, the midwife and the mother of the woman in labor read conspiracies and prayers throughout the process. When the pregnant woman went to give birth, the husband opened the doors and closets in the house for a quick birth of a child.

Delivery process

Joint childbirth. It was allowed to take part in labor activity to the spouse and mother giving birth. They also invited an experienced midwife. It was forbidden by canons to give birth in a residential building, so the process took place in a bathhouse or in a barn.

A few days before the appearance of the baby, women with assistants went to a secluded place and waited for the start of contractions. The midwife changed into clean clothes, periodically examined the woman in labor, encouraged her in every possible way.

If it was difficult for a woman in labor to move around the room, the grandmother supported her by the arms. All relatives constantly read conspiracies for the easy flow of the birth process. At the end of the first stage of labor, the midwife gave birth to an emetic potion that promotes the rapid opening of the cervix. To facilitate the attempts, a tight rope was pulled in the room where the birth took place. The expectant mother clutched at her at the moment of severe uterine spasm.

Poses. I used to give birth in an upright position. When the head erupted, the mother asked for a good fate for the child. It was believed that at this moment the angel endows the newborn with a soul.

Childbirth in the 18th century occurred at a high level only in France. Special chairs, similar to modern ones, were used there. The obstetrician received the child sitting on a small stool.

How women gave birth in the old days:

squatting;
in the knee-elbow position;
in a special chair.

One day, King Louis XIV wanted to be present at the birth. It was unpleasant for him to sit lower than a woman, so a member of the royal family suggested putting the woman in labor on her back. From here, births in the 19th century were carried out in a horizontal position, despite the fact that generic activity dragged on and became more painful. The posture "lying on your back" is not physiological for this process.

At the end of the 20th century, delivery began again in a semi-vertical position, which made the procedure for the birth of a child more natural. Vertical postures were practiced in India, Asian countries and America.

Anesthesia. Childbirth in the old days was not facilitated by epidural anesthesia, but there were methods of influencing pain. To reduce severe discomfort, the woman in labor was fumigated with special herbs and certain ritual dances or songs were used.

The woman in labor was put into a trance, in which the mother did not feel anything. These were breathing exercises that help to breathe in and out correctly. Herbal medicines were used as stimulants. Another option for using a non-standard psychological state was to stop postpartum hemorrhage.

Operations. The first cases of childbirth by an operating method were recorded in the 17th century, but based on African archaeological finds, they were performed much earlier. From one midwife to another, for centuries, successful techniques have been passed to help the woman in labor facilitate the process of expulsion of the fetus.

The midwives knew how to turn the leg across the lying baby before pushing it out of the womb. Obstetric forceps have been used since the 16th century. This adaptation of the ancient Indians is used to this day.

The birth of a child in Rus'

Our distant predecessors were superstitious, so the appearance of a newborn was surrounded by prejudices and customs. The woman in labor had to remove round objects (earrings, rings) in order to free herself from a long pregnancy. During the period of contractions, windows, chests, doors and cabinets were opened in the house of the expectant mother.

Basically, the spouse took part in the birth process. His role was to create comfortable conditions for his wife (serve water, rub the lower back). The men of that time knew the secret of how to put a knee on the back to reduce pain during attempts.

Women used to give birth in Rus' with their husbands, it was easier for them to endure the hardships of the birth act. In some regions, the husband groaned and screamed along with his wife. Later, Peter I officially transferred midwives to the status of midwives and forbade them to kill children born with pathologies. Up to this point, babies with deformities overtook the same fate as in Sparta.

Childbirth in Rus' took place in a secluded place, away from prying eyes. Under the ban was the preparation of things for the baby before his birth, so as not to attract trouble. If the midwife saw that it was time to give birth, the husband crawled between his wife's legs three times.

Relatives before the birth action always said goodbye to the woman in labor because of possible death. The outcome of the process depended on the experience and skills of the assistant. After the birth of a child, the grandmother buried the child's place, and the mother touched the baby's mouth with her heel for a peaceful sleep. Next, the midwife cut and tied the umbilical cord, and then had a snack and spat three times over her left shoulder.

To protect the baby from ogly people, the first wash took place in water painted over with milk. While bathing, the midwife formed an even head until the skull hardened. After the font, the newborn was placed on a sheepskin coat and swaddled in his father's shirt. Many traditions and prejudices have survived to this day. But to believe this or let it pass by the ears is the business of women in labor.

Newborn care

Today's rules for moms are completely different from the old ones. The reason for this is progress in medicine and society. A pre-revolutionary woman could tightly swaddle a baby, give him a cow horn with sweet bread in his mouth and go to work. Already under communism, they were taught to be a mother and take proper care of a child.

How did you give birth before?

a woman in labor said goodbye to loved ones, in case of death;
the woman went to the bathhouse with the midwife and her husband;
the midwife induced vomiting with special herbs to open the cervix;
the grandmother received the baby downstairs;
the afterbirth came out, which was quickly buried in the widow or in the corner of the hut;
the baby was swaddled;
a midwife straightened the head of a newborn;
the woman in labor was steamed in the bath and given herbs to reduce the uterus.

After the birth of the placenta, the midwife tied the umbilical cord and wiped the child. The nails and hair were not cut off the baby until the age of one. It was forbidden to swear and call names near the newborn, so that the child would fully develop and not die.

For the calm temperament of the baby, the midwife licked the dome with her tongue and spat over her left shoulder. The baby was placed on the right side for quiet sleep, and the first feces were tied up in a barn under the ceiling. The water in which the newborn was bathed was poured under a tree or bush before sunset.

The child was fed with mother's milk, in its absence - cow's. For the first three days, the mother's colostrum was considered bad, so the newborn was soothed with a nipple with boiled beets and carrots. In certain regions, the child was not breastfed until christening, and the baby's nutrition during this period was based on soaked bread or bagels, cereals in milk.

Christening

The next important event in the life of the mother was the baptism of the baby, the ceremony was performed on the 9th day from birth. The essence of this action was to immerse the newborn in water under the prayers of the priest.

Centuries later prerequisite there was the presence of godparents at the sacrament, who took the role of spiritual parents. During the ceremony, the priest read prayers, and the godparents renounced Satan by spitting over their left shoulder. After that, the priest performed the rite of anointing and dipped the baby three times in a special container of water.

Next, a baptismal long shirt and a cross were put on the child. The cross was made by the godfather from wood, and the spiritual mother sewed the shirt. Then the priest performed the ceremony of anointing the already baptized baby. At the end of the baptism procedure, the holy father cut off small strands of hair with a cross, which were fastened with wax and given to the parents for safekeeping.

The river was considered the most suitable place for the sacrament, but in the cold season everything took place within the walls of the church. Water after the sacred procession was poured into a stream or river. After the end of the obligatory events, the guests went to the baptized person's house for a festive dinner. Godparents sat in the most honorable place.

At the end of the celebrations, parents gave gifts to new spiritual relatives, godfathers, because they agreed to take care of themselves. Nothing has changed since those times, except that gifts are now given only to the hero of the occasion, and not godparents. Yes, and the ceremony itself is carried out in a church or at home, but not in the river.

Recovery after childbirth

As you know, they used to give birth to children with the help of midwives. These women helped the woman in labor and the baby. After the appearance children's place, the grandmother set the uterus in the desired position. It was this manipulation that basically entailed death. Immediately after the birth act, the mother was given time to rest and recuperate. The entire period of lactation, the woman was freed from hard work, she was fed in excess of the norm.

After childbirth, in the old days, a woman in labor was steamed in a bathhouse twice a day for a week. Thus, they tried to influence the contraction of the uterus. The mother was considered half-dead, she was allowed to lie on the bed for several weeks if there was someone to take care of the baby.

During the wars, everything went much more severely. Mothers who lost their husbands had to go to work to feed their families. It was difficult for them to recover. Through hard work, prolapse of the uterus and internal organs appeared.

Women had special garters worn over the shoulder and supporting the insides in the reduced position. The lack of conditions for normal hygiene negatively affected the health of post-war mothers, and there was a high mortality rate from infections. But ecology, natural products and physical fitness made the women of that time more resilient.

Childbirth in the old days took place in much the same way as now. The branch of medical anesthesia of the childbearing process has stepped forward, and a comfortable stay of a woman in labor with a baby in the postpartum period has appeared. They cannot be compared with the unsanitary conditions of old. Some techniques and methods for extracting a child from the uterus are used in gynecology to this day. The position of the woman in childbirth remained invariably vertical.

HOW BIRTH IN Rus'

Women, as a rule, found out about pregnancy rather late, since the only reliable sign that a woman was pregnant was obvious fetal movement. That is, when a woman’s “shirt” stopped, she assumed that she was “heavy”, but they talked about the pregnancy only after the fetus began to move. !!!

The fact that supposedly pregnant women in Rus' were treated with reverence is a myth. Pregnancy was often perceived as a hindrance and always as something completely ordinary: just 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: for sins or “done”, and not from hard work, therefore, the pregnant woman did not receive any indulgences, she still worked hard and hard, performing all her duties around the house.

As historians testify, often a woman went to give birth, leaving linen in a trough or unmixed dough. As for childbirth in the field, which admirers of the natural way of life are so fond of talking about, it is, of course, an illusion that women put a sickle aside, gave birth, and immediately jumped to their feet to continue working - “and nothing”, and that’s it. supposedly were healthy and strong.

Despite the fact that such childbirth was not uncommon, not a single sane woman wanted to be resolved in the field. Yes, there were cases of childbirth right in a haystack, but this was not the norm. If the beginning of the motherland caught a woman in the field, then she tried to get home so that the birth would take place in more suitable conditions.

Artist: Clodt Michael K.

Well, if there was a cart, they could take her to the hut, however, it happened that a woman who was shaken in a cart gave birth right in it. In other cases, the woman in labor reached the house on foot. Those who did not have time to run home gave birth in the field. There were also births on the banks of the river while rinsing clothes.

The birth was taken by a midwife, she is also a midwife. This is a woman who has mastered the art of obstetrics and provides assistance to women in childbirth.

The midwife controlled the entire process of childbirth, which could last for several days, if necessary, took measures to correct the position of the fetus, to speed up childbirth, swaddle the born baby - she swaddled, from which, in fact, the name of these ancient midwives comes - midwives. !!!

By the way, the obligatory postpartum recovery course also included the twisting of the puerperal woman - after two or three days the grandmother took her to the bathhouse, where the steamed woman was “corrected” and then for several hours, and if necessary - for several days - tightly pulled with fabric bandages - this served as a prophylaxis of hernias and uterine prolapse. But swaddling did not always save from this trouble.

HOW DID THE BIRTH GO?

Realizing that the time had come for the woman to give birth, the mother-in-law, mother or other woman in the family sent someone or herself went for the midwife. Again, for fear that devilry can harm a woman in labor, they went in a roundabout way and the grandmother was not called in plain text, but allegorically: “You should have come to see our cow, otherwise you promised, but you don’t go.” The services of a midwife were estimated at about ten kopecks, one bread and one pie. If the mother-in-law was stingy, and it was not possible to agree on a price, then the woman had to give birth without “qualified assistance”.

The woman in labor was usually taken to a heated bath - the cleanest room in the courtyard. Those who, due to poverty, did not have a bath, gave birth right in the hut. There, in the company of a midwife, a woman in labor experienced a period of contractions.

There were many tricks to speed up childbirth. A woman usually endured contractions while standing: she was placed in a doorway and forced to hang on a beam or on a rein thrown over a beam. If the process dragged on, then the woman in labor could be circled around the table three times, forced to blow into a bottle, knocked over on a board (put on a wide board and abruptly moved from a position upside down to a position upside down), forced to climb the ladder to the hayloft and go down back, suddenly pour a bucket of ice water, or incited other women to rush into the bathhouse with shouts of “We are on fire! Fire! ”, while pounding with rolling pins into the troughs.

If things were really bad, then they sent a prayer service to the priest and open the Royal Doors - the latter was considered especially effective. about any caesarean section for a simple peasant woman, there was no question. If after childbirth the placenta did not go well, then the woman's fingers or her own hair were shoved into her mouth - it was believed that the resulting vomiting contributes to the separation of the placenta. It is not surprising that with such obstetric care in Russia before the revolution, every seventh childbirth ended in the death of a woman. So the talk about the fact that in the old days they gave birth easily is also nothing more than a fiction.

Men were never present at childbirth. The exception was cases when it was necessary to carry out some manipulations with the woman in labor, for example, to lift her onto the board. Only then could the peasants be called for help, who, after providing the necessary assistance, immediately left. No one could have imagined such a whim as joint birth.

The newborn's umbilical cord was tied with linen thread and cut, in some areas it was customary for the midwife to gnaw through the umbilical cord. Only urban residents could afford to invite a doctor to give birth, provided that they were solvent.

Such a luxury as giving birth in a maternity hospital was out of the question. The catch is that the very first maternity hospital appeared in Russia in Moscow in 1764 and it was not intended for the comfort of women in labor and newborns, but in order to reduce the number of "street" births in walking women, who then usually threw their newborns into the sewer or to a landfill. To give birth in such a maternity hospital was a shame for a respectable woman, therefore, in fact, until the beginning of the twentieth century, they gave birth exclusively at home!!!

The woman was allowed to lie down for three days, after a difficult birth - up to nine days, then she was raised, and the same midwife "paced" her.

However, this was possible only in large families, where there was someone to replace the woman. In wealthy families, a woman in labor was released from work for the entire postpartum period - six weeks. If the family lived alone, in their own home, without relatives, then the mother was forced to get up almost an hour after the birth and proceed with the usual household chores. If the birth was in the summer, then after three days, a maximum of a week, the woman was already walking in the field: it was believed that work contributes to the fastest recovery.

Pimonenko Nikolay Kornilovich (1862-1912), Harvest in Ukraine.

Because of this, many women received a lot of postpartum complications in the form of hernias, bleeding, prolapse of the uterus. The only help they received came from fellow villagers: for a week or two they went to the puerperal to congratulate the newborn and without fail brought ready-made food with them, which made it possible to at least somehow facilitate her household chores.

Contrary to popular belief, the infant was not breastfed immediately after birth. Colostrum was usually expressed - it was considered "bad", "witch's milk", capable of bringing illness to the baby.

They breastfed whenever possible, as the mother's employment allowed. Often a woman asked a relative or neighbor who was not so busy with housework to feed her baby. If conditions allowed, then women strove to breastfeed as long as possible, “until the child is ashamed,” but not for the sake of breastfeeding itself, but in order not to become pregnant - according to the results of surveys of peasant women in the 19th century, 80% of women at least once per day breastfeeding children, critical days were absent for three or four, and, sometimes, even seven years. For those times breast-feeding was a fairly reliable method of protection.

Of course, there could be no question of any culture of sexual relations. According to historians of those times, when, how and how much the peasant always decided. And in this issue, again, the consumer attitude towards women prevailed. Husbands climbed to satisfy their lust, completely disregarding the well-being and condition of the woman: neither critical days, nor pregnancy, nor recent childbirth, nor fatigue were a reason to “wait”. He wants it, she has to. In this situation, marital debt often turned into the most common brutal violence. And there was nothing surprising in the fact that often a woman, having barely given birth, after a month or two again turned out to be “belly”, and everything was repeated in a circle ...