200 years ago would you have died during pregnancy/childbirth?

[LynetteScavo]

I had a kidney infection when pregnant with DC1, then a long and difficult birth, with a happy ending after a ventouse delivery. I've sometimes wondered if I would have lived through the kidney infection if I hadn't had IV antibiotics. I have no idea how the birth would have panned out.

I suspect an awful lot of us wouldn't be here now if we had babies 200 years ago.

Yes. Both of us would. I have a split womb, so ds was stuck in one side of it. Then forceps, then mrp, then pph and finally an infection.

Pretty scary thinking about it this way.

Yep. I don't dilate = two c sections.
Also had a severe kidney infection when preg with ds.

I would have died in utero actually, but assuming I lived long enough to give birth, then yes, I would have died. Terrible thought isn't it?

I would have died but DD should have made it...hard to say really...I am AMAZED though at how many here would have died. Can't be THAT many!

No DS and I would have been ok - straightforward pregnancy and birth. Very lucky. I may have had slightly flapper labia as they tore during delivery. If I had not been stitched up it's possible I could have got an infection that finished me off.

I'm Rhesus - and DS + so any subsequent dc who are + would probably not survive because no anti D.

Both my sister and I and our mother would have survived our births. Except our mother would never have conceived us because appendicitis would have killed her before she met our dad.

Of course 200 years ago contraception wasn't what it is now. I'd probably have had a baby a year which changes the odds a bit.

I would have died when I was 31/2 200 years ago because I developed such severe graves disease it was affecting my heart so it's a bit academic. DS1 was being strangled by the cord which was cut when he was inside because he was too far down for a section. I pushed really hard and avoided the ventouse/forceps by the skin of my teeth. DS1 had to be resuscitated though and I'm not sure if he would have made it without the suction and the heat lamp, etc. However, I would almost certainly have died afterwards from infective mastitis and then a breast abscess (I read somewhere that 200 years ago mastitis was the biggest killer of women not childbirth). If I had died, then DS would have too unless a wet nurse could have been found.

I actually got very upset about in the few months after he was born because if the care had been better both in labour and afterwards then it could have been avoided. This was in 1994 and in SW London just like a poster above. I saw 38 midwives and doctors during that pregnancy. It was a disgrace.

Both my children would not have survived. I don't know if I would have survived.

I may not have survived being born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate... I mean I may have survived the birth, but I may have starved afterwards...
I would be very unlikely to have gone on to have children myself though (even if I had survived childhood)... because I would not have had any surgeries to fix anything therefore would have been very unlikely to have found a partner/man/husband.

Placenta Previa. I doubt dd and I would have made it.

I had PE and was induced but failed to dilate. Had EMCS. Does that mean I'd have died twice?!!

Oooo and then got infection in CS wound and back in hosp for 4 days on IV. That 3 times then!

Ds and I would have died. He was in an odd presentation for birth, they couldn't use forceps or ventouse so had to go straight to section. He was never coming out naturally. So, he'd have died and I'd probably have followed with an infection

In my first pregnancy my DD died due to severe pre-eclampsia and HELLP (stillborn). I also almost died and would have done 20 years ago let alone 200.

DD2 and I would probably have both died in 2nd pregnancy too (transverse lie) but that's irrelevant in a way as I'd never have survived past DD1 anyway.

For women in Afghanstin, their lifetime risk of dying due to pregnancy / childbirth is about 1 in 11. That maybe gives an idea what happens in places where there is limited contraceptive access, and very little ante-natal care / care during delivery.

Even now, childbirth is riskier in many places than women realise. We are really very very fortunate with the NHS, despite its problems.

Probably. I had severe pre-eclampsia with HELLP symptoms and ds was whipped out prematurely when I started having problems with my liver. Having said that, I wasn't diagnosed properly initially and went into some kind of strange spontaneous remission which is apparently rare (then got worse again), so who knows? Maybe I would have got better again. I'm very glad I didn't have to take the chance.

Of course, I may well have already died from the scarlet fever I had in childhood, and my mother would almost certainly have died from her ruptured appendix.

If I'd actually managed to make it to childbirth age which was touch and go anyway most of my childhood.

DS wouldn't be around cause there would have been no aspirin to keep my blood from clotting throughout the pregnancy due to an auto immune disorder (undiagnosed can lead to multiple late miscarriages).

And then I bounced the other way and developed HELLP syndrome which has quite a high maternal deathrate in developed countries even today. During the hurry to get DS out naturally (rapid induction as they really really didn't want to cut me open), his heart rate dropped dramatically, so I had to have EMCS anyway. It was a very very very close call for both of us.

I am very lucky and count my stars every day

Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796-1817) would have inherited the British throne if she hadn't died in childbirth. The royal physician was apparently 'suspicious' of all this new-fangled technology (forceps and the like) and so she was left to fend as best she could :(

If it hadn't been for that, we would never have had Queen Victoria and British history would have been rather different! One to ponder...

I may or may not have died with DS1 - tore and did lose a fair bit of blood but nowhere near as bad as it could have been!!

I'd have been fine, so would both my DDs!

Just to balance the odds out on the thread!

Yeah I had a PPH so would probably have died. DD would have survived if they could have found her a wet nurse.

Saying that me and my mum would have died in childbirth anyway.

I can't imagine the pain women would have suffered, and still do in other parts of the world. Imagine having a baby stuck in your pelvis and just having to wait until you both died. Heartbreaking.

OH yes, I'd have died MULTIPLE times during my two pregnancies - and neither of the boys would've made it either.

Might've been able to birth the second (elcs with ventouse within the section!) - but there'd have been a lot of "manual manipulation" which probably wouldn't have ended well for me.

I would undoubtedly have died 200 yrs ago. My uterus haemorrhaged and I lost 2 litres of blood. Not a survivable thing all those years ago.

Not sure but quite probably both if us wouldn't have made it.

Went into spontaneous prem labour at 32 weeks. DD was breech and although I was fully dilated, she wasn't coming out and was distressed. Ended up with her being pushed back up (ouch) and me having emCS. Had a vault tear and lost a lot of blood.

DD in incubator and tube fed for 3 weeks and struggled to BF when we came home (she didn't put on much weight) so supplemented with formula.

Pretty much same thing with DD2 but not quite so traumatic.

There is a possibility that we could have all made it but I still have flashbacks and lots if 'what if' thoughts about it happening before medical assistance and advances in neonatal care. Horrible alternative possibilities, just glad we all came out alive and well.

Ooh SpeckleDust, you're the first person I've seen who had their baby pushed back up, like me!

High five!

And I would have survived, but DD wouldn't have.

kicking I never knew such an awful thing could be done!! Honestly the most painful thing I have ever endured (and on gas and air at the time).

Don't forget we all come from a long line of women who successfully had babies! (bit worried for poor PG people reading thread and panicking)