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Original poster

In dwelling on the subject of maternal mortality. How many died in the past? Your guesses please!

71 replies

shagmundfreud · 12/10/2011 16:51

...... how many do you think? For every 100 pregnancies.

I'm thinking in the days before

antibiotics
scans
forceps
caesarean section
blood transfusions

and at a time when rickets wasn't uncommon and where many women had experienced inadequate nutrition in childhood and adulthood.

Your guesses please.

OP posts:
BatsUpMeNightie · 12/10/2011 16:53

Should be easily Google-able. Why do you want people to guess?

worraliberty · 12/10/2011 16:54

What Bats said

And considering this is Mumsnet, probably not the sort of thing anyone wants to be guessing.

Original poster
shagmundfreud · 12/10/2011 16:54

Oh don't spoil the fun by googling!

OP posts:
ScaredBear · 12/10/2011 16:55

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

StellaAndFries · 12/10/2011 16:55

Oh yes I'm sure maternal mortality and fun should go hand in hand Hmm

Original poster
shagmundfreud · 12/10/2011 16:56

I'm thinking about the fact that we have c/s rate of 27% now, and many people believe they would have died without an op.

Just wondering what the general perception was.

OP posts:
StellaAndFries · 12/10/2011 16:56

X Post ScaredBear

Original poster
shagmundfreud · 12/10/2011 16:56

Oh don't be so po faced.

If you're going to behave like that you'd have to stop your children watching Horrible Histories, as that's full of jokes about people having leprosy, being tortured to death etc.

OP posts:
Original poster
shagmundfreud · 12/10/2011 16:57

Go on then.

OP posts:
ToothlessHag · 12/10/2011 16:58

really insensitive op. If this turns into a "shouldnt we be greatful for the medical advancements we now have" thread then yes we should. If i had DS 50 years ago even, both of us would have died, but why would you want to make this a game, or even make us want to think about it.

my first everBiscuit

KatAndKit · 12/10/2011 16:59

Perhaps your energies would be better focussed in thinking about women in those countries where there is still a high maternal mortality rate rather than thinking about how lucky we are compared to times gone by. Not every one is so fortunate, even in 2011

Original poster
shagmundfreud · 12/10/2011 17:00

I'm interested in the general perception of how dangerous birth was prior to modern medicine and seeing how it fits with the facts.

Honestly - I feel surrounded by people making cats bums faces. Hmm

OP posts:
KatAndKit · 12/10/2011 17:01

worldwide there is one maternal death every minute approximately.

TandB · 12/10/2011 17:01

You are surrounded by people making cats bum faces. Let me add my own Cat's bum face to the mix.

Not a nice guessing game at all.

Original poster
shagmundfreud · 12/10/2011 17:02

I'm not dismissing the tragedy of high maternal mortality rates in these places and would be delighted to discuss it with you on another thread if you're interested.

But what I'm asking now is about how dangerous birth was in the past.

And I'm laughing about how easily some people on this board are offended.

OP posts:
ThePumpkinKing · 12/10/2011 17:02

So your issue is with c-sections?

It would be fairer to spell out your agenda up-front.

toddlerama · 12/10/2011 17:06

OP are you driving at the fact that many of us who feel we needed a c-section to survive our children's births are mistaken and we probably would have made it in the past? My first Biscuit That can be a biscuit or a cats arse.

DreamsOfScream · 12/10/2011 17:07

not exactly 'how many sweets can I fit in a nissan micra is it'?

these are peoples live that have been lost.

Biscuit
Original poster
shagmundfreud · 12/10/2011 17:07

Why the disapproval?

I'm asking a serious question about the general perception of how dangerous birth is.

I asked people not to google because I'm interested in what their current view is.

I've been thinking about this issue a lot recently - I've been very surprised by something I read in a history of birth (the Tina Cassidy book here: here and I was wondering how many other people would also be surprised.

OP posts:
KatAndKit · 12/10/2011 17:08

Next you will tell us that since 1967 fewer women died as a result of abortions? We all know it is safer due to modern medicine. And thank god it is too.

MamaMary · 12/10/2011 17:08

I'm laughing about how easily some people on this board are offended.

I'm not offended, but I think your OP is bizarre. And possibly offensive to some.

If you want to know these facts, google them.

KatAndKit · 12/10/2011 17:08

I'm not offended either. I just don't want to play guessing games on such morbid facts.

Original poster
shagmundfreud · 12/10/2011 17:11

So you've no interest in how many women died in the past, or why they died?

Or how medicine has made a difference?

OP posts:
DreamsOfScream · 12/10/2011 17:11

If you have a valid point to make, then feel free to make it but don't turn it into some sick game of guess how many people died.

lashingsofbingeinghere · 12/10/2011 17:11

I do know that in the past when a woman became pregnant she often made a shroud for herself. I can't remember where I read this fact but I think it's in one of those wimmin's histories.

My guess would be 1 in 500 births led to a maternal death. But it's a guess.

I don't understand why this is an offensive question? Is it offensive to ask how many people died of cancer before chemotherapy etc became available?

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