Without modern medicine, wouldn't much of us women be dead?

Question

Isn't it true, most of us women who have had children would not be alive if not for modern medicine? There have been plenty of women we would consider strong who died durring pregnancy, before modern medicine. The fact is, our bodies really can't take the pain and suffering of pregnancy. If not for modern medicine, over 50% of us who have had children would be dead. Am I right?

FYI: I was just thinking about this the other day.

Most young women of today truly don't appreciate the gift of medicine.

Answer 1

Yeah.. don't get me wrong, I am sure I would be dead without modern medicine. I have had 3 c-sections, and from the first becasue of my bone structure I had to have a surgical intervention to give birth. The babies never passed through the birth canal or not even come close to that. As far as pain tolerance, that's a different issue, and differs from woman to woman. I, have a great tolerance to pain, I was in labor for 33 hours before the c-section (before my first) no drugs, except Pytossin (which actually elevates the pain by a lot compared to the natural process) to regulate my contractions.
That says volumes about how much a woman is able to put up with. I think we are built to last... in that respect.
But yeah, I agree with you, modern medicine I owe my life to.

Answer 2

That's not true, although there are many complications that can occur. If it was true that most of us would be dead from having children, then the population wouldn't be as great as it is. Modern medicine is relatively new. People used to die sooner due to infection, disease, and famine and could have a lifespan of no more than 30 years at times. In todays' world we see that in Africa, where the medicine doesn't exist the way it should and poverty is rampant. But our bodies were meant for childbearing. Some women just have problems that weren't easily fixable before like the baby being turned or the baby's head being too big for the hips. Used to be that women with large hips were found much more attractive than they are today because of that fact. But due to all of the medical miracles today women are expected to look like fine works of art. Slender, perfect, and well endowed all at the same time. Modern medicine has increased our lifespan, but not for the reason you think. It's a combination of everything a person could encounter in a lifetime. Chances are you would have lived through childbearing. It's all the germs and diseases that would have got you.

Answer 3

There is a difference between 1 in 2 women dying in childbirth and 1 in 2 births resulting in a dead mother. If the latter had been the case, we would have run out of children very quickly! But the truth is that the most common cause of death for women prior to contraception, modern medicine and basic sanitation was childbirth by a mile, over 50% of women died as a RESULT of childbirth. Just to be clear, this does not mean that 50% of births killed the mother. Everyone dies of something eventually and in 50% of cases for women prior to 1890, the thing that killed them was childbirth.

Its also linked in infant mortality rates as in times when most children didn't live to 10, people had as many children as they could. While there isnt much risk for a woman having one child, having 10-15 on average in your lifetime exponentially increases the risk of complications, hence the 50% figure.

Some simple mathematics solves most things.

Answer 4

Very true. When I had my son, I bled severely. If it wasn't for modern medicine, I would've bled to death. Now, I didn't take drugs while having him. (What was I thinking!). But when I began to bleed out, that's when the modern medicine kicked in! It was common place for women during childbirth at one point in time. You are right. Thank goodness for modern medicine!

Answer 5

Hmmm are you trying to say that ignorance is not a bliss? :)) If so I totally agree with you, but no matter how many philosophical question you are going to ask ppl with the 13th sign obsession will come again and again cause it seems easier to read or hear something that someone else made up and then to repeat it like a parrot with no valid arguments whatsoever instead of using a minimal effort to use their minds, to make some research, to open a book, to use google in order to gather some info so they can give a proper reasoning to their statement. Well you have to agree that the Astrology is a complex matter and it looks more like a fine tool to me. A tool which comprises at least two natural sciences - astronomy and math and requires some special skills from its practitioners - interpretation skills, gift of gab, vast general culture and psychological knowledge and/or intuition and lots of inspiration and passion ab astrology so they can combine all of the above and translate their knowledge into something meaningful for the non-astrologers like me. Instead of pondering on the matter if it is possible a 13th, 14th, 15th sign to exist, as a very lazy person with a mere idea what astrology is i just wait for the professional astrologers to discover them - so far no one is willing to announce such a revolutionary discovery and i presume that there are no sufficient proofs or nothing to be discovered whatsoever :P (Am i making any sense so far ? :)) ) Anyway if one has doubts that astrology is false he/she is very welcome to prove it otherwise its just a childish way to look "oh so very original" and alas ignorant.

Answer 6

Nope. You're wrong.
Few women die from complications of childbirth.
I gave birth in without meds. It's no big deal. Pain and suffering? Get over it. That's utter nonsense.
BUT, I did get an infection afterward and could have died without antibiotics. Women used to die of that occasionally in the past. On the other hand, women survived it too. Catherine the Great did.
Google it and find out for yourself, obviously you're in severe need to learn about simple biology.
And history.
Do you think 50% of the female population was missing before modern medicine?
And logic. Study logic because what you said doesn't even make sense.

Answer 7

Our bodies were made to have children. If 50% of women died and everyone died while giving birth, our population would have been unable to grow. You read books in the time period and there would be one woman who would die from childbirth and fifty other women with three kids in tow at her funeral. Death was a part of their lives, and childbirth was dangerous but 50% of the women population did NOT die . According to modern studies only 40% of women have complications during pregnancy, and this does not necessarily mean the mother will die. The child could have birth defects, or the mother is bed ridden, or the child is stillborn. The number for women who die is much lower than you think. Only as estimated 15% of women develop life threatening complications. Of course it was more dangerous to have children back then, but not all mothers died and some women were just baby making machines.

Answer 8

I would be dead right now and so would my daughter if I did not have surgery. So yes a lot of women would not be here if not for modern medicine and methods of surgery. To many people died because the doctors did not was their hands during childbirth and such medical procedures. So, concept of cleanliness and modern methods of medical processes are a major reason any of us are still here not just women.

Answer 9

Nope, that's not true. Actually statistics do not significantly support the move of childbirthing into hospitals and away from traditional midwives. Most women would be fine, and I think medical interferrence should be left for those who need it. Why pathologize the most natural of processes? (well, because someone can make money by it, of course).

Answer 10

without modern medicine, the population wouldn't be what it is today, niether would the infant mortality rate. or the average life span.