to think someone should have got Mary a chair and some toast?

[divineinspirations]

Watching my first school nativity I couldn't believe poor Mary had to stand up the whole time and be polite to all the shepherds and wise men that kept turning up.
If there was no room for a bed surely someone could have got her a chair at least? And there must be a Judaean equivalent of postnatal tea and toast?

Until the late medieval period, there was usually a midwife in the nativity scene. Plumping the pillows or getting Mary a drink or looking after the baby so she could have a rest. She's not mentioned in the Bible but I appreciate that in mediaeval thought, Mary must have needed someone knowledgeable and caring to help her.

Very annoyed we don't include her any more.

I research medieval childbirth (as you do), and medieval writers spent a ton of time imagining how Mary's labour went. There is a really adorable book that addresses the bumpy ride to Bethlehem, and very sweetly assures us that 'the Lord Jesus was not chargeaunt to his mother' (ie., he didn't weigh on her; the pregnancy wasn't a burden). Isn't that cute?

There's also a bit of theology that pain in childbirth comes from Eve's sin, and Mary (being sinless) could open her womb as easily and voluntarily as she might spread her fingers - so it wouldn't be painful.

(I love this extremely random stuff.)

I am starting to become concerned that I may have sinned beyond redemption and/or possibly given birth to Satan’s child, based on my significantly less than comfortable pregnancy and childbirth experience. So I guess the Christmas story is still in action saving our souls.

Those gifts probably arrived around Jesus' first birthday, as it took about that long for the wise men to travel. Well past post natal time.

The carol "I sing of a maiden" describes it as "He came so still in his mother's bower/ Like dew in April that falleth on the flower". Hmm. No, I'm struggling to relate that to having my son.

Beautiful carol though:

if it came out holey, people would be worried! Medical journals would do well tho!
😊

I was pregnant with my second over christmas when my eldest (about 7 at the time) said in response to me saying I felt uncomfortable.."at least you don't have to ride on a donkey!"

Well in my day, men were not allowed into the 'birthing chamber'; it was a ridiculous concept - men at the birth??? supporting their DW/DP...
Never!

Bloody Avanti West Coast!

🤣🤣🤣🤣

But then would you have really have laid a newborn in a manger ,that cattle etc are eating out of🤔

Bet they blamed the star sat-nav. Probably the earliest example of how troublesome they would later prove to be.

divineinspirations, yeah , no moaning and groaning !!!!

Latenightreader nah they sent em back. Free returns!

They didn't arrive until a couple of weeks later, around Jan 6th, so she had her little family bubble, very MN!

Some years ago (more than 10 because I've been retired that long) there was, apparently, a TV programme before Christmas describing how childbirth would have been dealt with in Biblical times. I didn't see it but a girl in KS1 did and started telling everyone about it in Assembly. She had just described a rope to hold on to and something to bite on when I managed to move things on.

You obviously didn't have a bumpy ride on a donkey to help it out! When I was younger if a woman was overdue there was as twisty, bumpy, steep road that was recommended for a few drives up and down, I recall one man offering to take his wife on his motorbike!

At my daughter’s nursery nativity a couple of years ago Baby Jesus got stuck under Mary’s jumper and one of the TAs had to crawl on and fish him out. The teacher who narrated the story commented that they’d called in the midwife and it was a breech birth. One of my favourite memories from her nursery days.

Got to love a a nativity preformed by nursery/ reception children i remember " Joseph" yawning and picking his nose 🤣

One year Reception Mary wet herself but with admirable stage presence didn't give any indication this was happening and it was only discovered later. Very embarrassing for the poor child.

Another year, while lining up to go in the Hall, one of the angels vomited all over the two in front. There was a bit of a delay while the poorly one's Mum was found in the audience and some sort of angel costumes were hastily cobbled together for the other two.

Apologies for the bodily fluids stories but it's a daily fact of life in Early Years.

And there’s always the old joke, it should have been 3 wise women. They’d have brought sensible gifts and a casserole, changed Mary’s bedsheets and swept the stable floor before leaving.

Perhaps the bumps helped to kick-start Mary's labour.
At least Joseph's parents didn't turn up along with the shepherds and kings, otherwise Mary would've been straight on MN with 'AIBU to expect ILs to leave us alone post-birth? The baby isn't even DH's child!'

First century Israel? 🤔