1000 years ago?

Question

how would have women dealt with childbirth, mestruation and life in general

Answer 1

Midwives would have helped with the childbirth portion of things.

Many women used spaganum moss to act as a kind of plug or sop and life in general was "mean, brutish and short"

Answer 2

Only a thousand years ago would bring you right into the brink of the beginning of the middle (dark) ages. Depending on what culture you were born into there was pestalince, disease, wars and famines. A woman had rank and protection only as far as her family or mate would provide. Childbirth has always been risky and always will be but wonder what it would be like to be pregnant in the midst of filthy, unsanitary circumstances? No rights in having your child taken from you to be sold or given to some rich woman who can't bare children? Or to suffer through long hours of labor with no relief available or medical knowledge beyond the other women therewith. Women either stuck together or it was highly competative, again depending on what culture you were born in and as well, it was an up at dawn work until you drop kind of existance in a world where there were no rules, laws or boundries. There was no infrastructure in 1000 a.d. The Roman Empire ruled most of Europe, Germania and Asia and the rest was run by warring rebelious tribes. Women were and have always been property. Life in general, except for the small majority prolly suct big time, at least compared to most parts of the world now. Maybe back then they didn't think so as they were satisfied with what they had and the knowledge they had....babies, family, cooking, craft, travel? Who knows fer sure. These were facts of life...just as they are today...the difference is...now we have choices but some women are still too stupid to excersize those choices wisely. I wish it weren't so. Love in Christ, ~J~

Answer 3

1007 ?
Chilbirth: Get help from other women that has previous experience with childbirth like your mother, sister, aunt, grandmother; or midwife. If you were a rich lady or queen, call the doctor.

Menstruation? Use pieces of cloth specially set apart for women higiene. Pains? Drink herbal teas (not sure which).

Life in general? Numerous answers to this one, do not know where to start.

Answer 4

Childbirth is still risky business, even here in the US. If I hadn't been at a hospital with my first, we both would have died. 1000 years ago no one even knew about proper hand washing. My grandmother used rags as sanitary pads during her period; I imagine that's probably what women used back then. Life in general was probably not great for women. Traditionally, their role in society has been pretty rigidly defined.

Answer 5

Child birth would have been attended by a midwife. Some were better than others. Some had pain relievers. Menstruation would have been handled by seclusion and the only hygiene products were rags ..soap was considered medicine. The position of women varied greatly. The average woman would have stayed at home..BUT ..there were women knights, doctors, and leaders.

Answer 6

There would have been a very high mortality rate for women in childbirth as well as for their babies, menstruation must have been unpleasant without sanitary products...but of course everybody smelled bad back then, people wore the same clothes till they were in tatters, can you imagine the goats leaping from some guys armpits when they lifted their arms!!!...I guess people don't notice it so much when it's so ubiquitous and they've known nothing different.

Answer 7

Childbirth is a natural process. It goes same way tilldate except the medical assistance - medicines and surgery.

Answer 8

On their own. Childbirth and menstruation were considered unclean things, and the Church preached that being involved would cause one to be tainted.

Infant and mother mortality rates were through the roof.

A woman's life in general revolved around either her husband, her father, or the Church. Very little free-will.

Answer 9

With great difficulty and discomfort. I sure many women died through childbirth.

Answer 10

Different cultures would have different ways of dealing with things. See link:

For ancient Egyptians:
http://nefertiti.iwebland.com

For ancient Chinese:
http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/Chinalife.html

For ancient indians:
http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/Indialife.html

For ancient English people:
http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/0-9/1000ad/fwelcome.html

http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/
You can see this site for others

Its hard to generalise the whole world with one practice, with the many different cultures on planet earth