What did women use for Birth Control before the 60's?

Question

Hello! :)

I'm 30 years old, and I've always been curious about women who lived in the 1930's, 40's, and 50's--and wondered what they used for Birth Control? For example, I've always wondered how women like Marilyn Monroe did not get pregnant.

My grandma had 11 kids (she was born in 1935), and I hear many stories of women back then who had 17 kids. My God! Whew! But I see that many movie stars did not have many children--So, 'fess up! What was the secret to not getting knocked up, I mean, "with child" back then? :)

..thank you in advance :)

Answer 1

They were selective, didn't screw everything in sight, and had values.

Answer 2

There were definitely no good and dependable methods. Rhythmn method was a joke. It was a very hit or miss guesstimate as to when you might be ovulating, not to be confused with today's natural family planning methods. Nobody except the woman really cared too much about her not getting pregnant, so it was her problem, and there was not a lot of information nor many products available. Women's lives were pretty much preordained to marry and have children. Most doctors would not give an unmarried girl a diaphram. I read one post on here that says there was not very much premarital sex. That's not true. Human nature has not changed. Single girls got pregnant, dropped out of high school, went away to have their babies and give them up for adoption. It was considered scandalous to get pregnant and not be married. The research says that the rates of abortion were the same before it was legal as now, so women with money and contacts could probably always find a practitioner. It was a life-risking procedure, rarely done by a physician. I had friends who went away to have their babies, as well as friends who had abortions.

Answer 3

Surgical sterilization. Also,
there were always midwives
and "herb" doctors who knew
the proper herbs to cause a
miscarriage.
There were only 2 ways of
actual pre-conception control.
1:abstinance 2)Timed monthly conception days.
You must remember that
back then it was a man's
legal right to have sex whenever HE wanted it and
to have as many children as
HE wanted. Many children
were wanted to help with the
jobs on the farm that needed
doing. But women's role was
that of child-bearer and mother and wife.(period)
Actually, a woman was considered "property" probably as late as the 2nd
W War, in some places.
Sort of like the Iraqi women
of today. Also, if you will
study the catholic religion, you
will find that all forms of
birth control are banned.

Answer 4

Condoms have been around a lot longer than you might imagine them to be---since 1000 B.C., made out of animal skins. The first latex condom was produced in the 1880s but not widely in use until the 1930s. In the early 1900s they fell out of favor when a social hygienists fought to have them prohibited in the U.S.A. Unsafe and dangerous abortions were a common birth control at the turn of the century and, actually, through out all of history.

For a history of condoms, follow the link in sources...

Answer 5

American natives used some plants as an oral contraceptive ( many contain compounds similar to estrogens)
Condoms go back at least to the 17th century ( made of lambskin)
self induced miscarriage (drink a bottle of gin in a very hot bath)
was used since the mid 19th Century.
I think tubal ligation was done since about 1920s

Answer 6

Marilyn Monroe did get pregnant - several times - and had several abortions. The record of abortions among movie stars is heart rending - but often felt they had no choice. Pregnancy would have invalidated their studio contracts and would have killed their popular images. Or at least, that was the thinking of the day.
Birth control in the 60s mainly depended on condoms, or on vaginal caps, which were inserted, filled with spermicide, to (hopefully) prevent sperm from reaching the uterus. The rhythm system was popular (although not very reliable) and if you wanted a sure thing, abstinence was the only recourse.

Answer 7

Actually there are a number of herbal teas one can use. Some of them date back to Pharonic Egypt. Look in most herb shops for teas to regulate the menstrual cycle and they will act as birth control as well.

Answer 8

Society was not so promiscuous back then. Abstinence was practiced by many, so birth control devices were not required by many. Condoms were available. Although abortion was not legal, they were available for a price. I would imagine that those in Hollywood had the money and the contacts to get abortions.

Answer 9

condoms, illegal abortion, dangerous IUDs, elective hysterectomy(with a doctors help) natural planning in which you use certain biological cues to avoid pregnancy. Breastfeeding has been show to reduce fertility in women. Once upon a time almost all women breastfed before formula seemed more convenient(another story).

Answer 10

The same thing they have done through
out the ages... herbals
before and after... and,
back room's...
sad but true...
many women died in childbirth,
or in the back room's
the average life span of a woman
was no where near what it is today...

Answer 11

I asked my Mother the same question. She said it was the Rhythm method. She even had a small booklet about it. It boiled down to knowing your cycle like the others have said.