In Russia, until the 18th century, both obstetrics and gynecology were at a lower stage of development than in many other countries, and were not even divided into different branches of medicine. In pagan Rus', pregnant women called on the gods for help, making sacrifices to them, casting spells, and believed in omens and the miraculous power of plants. By the way, the most “strong” amulet was considered to be the overcoming grass. According to some sources, it is a white river water lily, according to others, it is St. John’s wort, and according to others, it is a plant from the genus Euphorbia.
Things were a little better with this when Russia had already adopted Christianity: a pregnant woman could only count on the help of the oldest and most experienced woman in the family or a midwife. This is what the harsh rules of “Domostroy” prescribed: “One should be healed by God’s mercy, and true repentance, and thanksgiving, and forgiveness, and mercy, and unfeigned love for everyone.” That's all, and no doctors! At the same time, Russian women continued fervently, and the correctness of some of these beliefs, oddly enough, is confirmed by modern medicine to one degree or another.
Grandmother's superstitions
– A pregnant woman should not eat secretly or in a hurry. Based on logic, a pregnant woman will secretly eat if, for example, it can cause an allergy. The same goes for eating in a hurry: food is not sufficiently processed, which means that nutrients are less absorbed. All this harms the fetus.
– A pregnant woman should not sit cross-legged. Indeed, in this position, blood circulation in the legs is impaired, which can lead to varicose veins.
– A pregnant woman should not raise her arms or sleep on her back. Doctors confirm this in some cases for late pregnancy: there is a risk of premature birth and complications.
– Pregnant women should not wear gold and silver jewelry. Here, medicine does not impose absolute prohibitions, but pregnant women are still prone to swelling, and they should postpone wearing their favorite jewelry “for later.” After all, many expectant mothers experience swelling not only in their legs, but also in their arms.
– Pregnant women should not look at deformities, fires, or be present at scandals, fights, or funerals. You don’t have to be an expert to appreciate the depth of this folk wisdom: negative emotions are completely contraindicated for an expectant mother. She is prescribed psychological comfort. Even pregnant women were strictly forbidden to slander, steal, or get drunk. This prohibition also does not require separate comments.
At the same time, even to this day there are very many that are beyond any reasonable explanation. For example, why shouldn’t a pregnant woman knit, sew and embroider? Or why can’t the expectant mother take care of the baby’s dowry in advance?
Ivan the Terrible and obstetrics
In every Russian family - from peasant to boyar - there were always many children, childbirth was repeated from year to year, and therefore was not perceived as some kind of extraordinary event. People rejoiced if the addition to the family was successful, and they accepted the loss of a baby with philosophical humility. The state made the first attempt to somehow systematize obstetric care only at the end of the 16th century.
The “Terrible Tsar” did not leave a good memory among the people. Meanwhile, some of his initiatives can be called progressive for their time. Thus, it was under Ivan the Terrible that the Pharmacy Order was created. In fact, it is the first government body that manages the healthcare system, including obstetrics. It was determined that men do not have the right to practice obstetrics, and childbirth must be attended by a midwife or midwife (from “midwife” - to receive a baby). This one did not yet have the necessary education, but was already based on her own knowledge and knowledge accumulated in her family and passed on from generation to generation.
Midwifery Institute
Who could become a midwife? An elderly woman, often a widow, and always with children. An ancient historian writes: “A girl, although elderly, cannot be a midwife. What kind of grandmother is she if she didn’t torture herself? It’s difficult to give birth with her, and the children won’t always survive...” The midwife was invited to all difficult births; she always washed and steamed the woman in labor with the newborn in the bathhouse and looked after them for the first days.
The next breakthrough in obstetrics and gynecology occurred already in the middle of the 18th century. In Russia, they began to produce “midwives with a diploma”: midwifery institutes and midwifery schools were opened. These special educational institutions trained senior and mid-level medical personnel in the field of obstetrics. The “midwife” had a higher medical education and was essentially an obstetrician-gynecologist; The “rural midwife” had a secondary medical education. There were also simply “midwives” - students who received correspondence education. Their work was no longer left to chance, but was strictly regulated by a special charter.
The midwife began by dressing the woman in labor in a clean shirt, giving her Epiphany water to drink, and lighting a candle in front of the icons. She strictly made sure that all the knots in the house were untied: from women’s braids to locks on the doors. They say that this way the birth will end faster. Regardless of her professionalism, the midwife provided enormous psychological assistance to the expectant mother, constantly telling her that everything would be fine. She bandaged the newborn with a thread twisted with the mother’s hair - so that the connection between them would remain for life.
Immediately after birth, the midwife performed actions similar to modern baby yoga: she smoothed the baby’s arms, legs, tummy, and “ruled” the baby’s head. If the baby was weak, then the midwife could... send him to the oven. The newborn found himself there three times on a wide wooden shovel in the mildest heat. This was a symbolic action: the baby was, as it were, “baked” so that he would grow healthy and strong.
Not a man's business
Our ancestors could not even dream of something so fashionable now. The husband was instructed to stay away from his wife in labor, but still be within reach. Because if something goes wrong, then it was he who was supposed to pray fervently and go around the house with images.
And only Peter the Great was able to slightly shake the established traditions: during his reign, it finally became possible to allow a male doctor to see a woman in labor. The great reformer did his best to attract European doctors to Russia, issuing a special decree obliging foreigners to train our doctors. And in addition, gifted youth had the opportunity to study abroad, including in medicine. Soon, schools “for medical and surgical practice” were opened in our country, and obstetric education was gradually improved. The first manual “How a woman should support herself during pregnancy, childbirth and after childbirth” appeared, the first textbooks for future obstetricians and gynecologists and the first talented Russian scientists. The most famous name of that time was the theorist and practitioner of obstetrics and gynecology Nestor Ambodik-Maksimovich, who was the first in our country to use obstetric forceps. But this is a new page in the history of obstetrics in Russia, which deserves a separate story.
The birth of a child in Rus' was considered a special sacrament that opened doors between worlds. It, like death, marked the transition of the soul from the transcendental world, unknown to man, into the real, physically tangible.
When a woman felt the approach of childbirth, she secretly read the birth prayer or wrote it on a piece of paper (if she was literate) and, wrapped in a hat, handed it to the priest at church. None of the outsiders should have known about this, so that nothing bad would happen.
Preparing for childbirth
Usually, during pregnancy, women in Rus' worked a lot, even in the later stages. Physical activity was not only forced (it was necessary to take care of the family), but also desirable. Experienced midwives, mothers and mothers-in-law advised expectant mothers to move a lot. This was considered the key to an easy birth. A woman in Rus' usually worked until the first contractions. As soon as they began, the older women began to prepare the bath and sent for the midwife.
Even in pre-Christian Rus', there was a widespread tradition of saying goodbye to a woman in labor at this moment, because there was a high probability of a fatal outcome of childbirth. Also, Slavic women often gave birth outside the house, somewhere in a field or grove. This was due to the fact that in moments of severe pain, a woman in labor could swear or use foul language, and this “polluted” the atmosphere of the house. The most optimal place for the birth of a child was considered to be a bathhouse. In addition, it was possible to give birth in it in the most severe frost.
Before giving birth, the walls of the bathhouse were thoroughly washed from the inside until they were white. Be sure to light candles in front of the icon and read a prayer. A belt (sash) was tied to the flaps, which the woman could hold on to while pushing. The bathhouse was heated hotly to keep the expectant mother and newborn warm. A woman’s braids must be undone, and all the knots on her clothes must be undone. This was necessary for the uterus to open and the mother’s body to release the baby. By analogy with the knots in the house, all the locks, chests, and chests were opened.
Birth
A woman could give birth lying down, but more often it happened squatting or even standing, in a bent position. The woman in labor was positioned with her head towards the washstand. An elderly woman with extensive experience in this field was considered the best midwife. It is extremely important that she herself has healthy children. It is best to have more boys, because in Russian families the birth of a son was more desirable.
The future father had to remove the boot from the right foot of his wife in labor. Then he should have brought her a tub of clean spring water, and after that untied the belt on her sundress. The husband could be present during the process itself, but many men tried not to disturb their wives or embarrass them. But they were always somewhere nearby, in the adjacent room.
According to ancient custom, a man was supposed to moan and scream during childbirth, as if taking on some of his wife’s pain. At the same time, he attracted the attention of various evil spirits, which have the custom of approaching a woman in labor or a newborn. The man seemed to take the blow upon himself.
The midwife supervised the entire process. She told the woman in labor how to behave, calmed her down and guided her. When the baby was born, she bit the umbilical cord 3 times and spat it over her left shoulder, while reading a conspiracy against umbilical hernia. The boy's umbilical cord was cut at the ax handle so that he would grow up to be a skilled owner. For a girl - on a spindle, so that she becomes a good spinner and needlewoman.
As you know, previously almost every family had many children. And it was not three children, like today, but 7, 9, 12 or more children. Caesarean section has not yet been used, as well as anesthesia and other “auxiliary” means. Women “worked” almost every year, giving birth to a child. And their work was not always made easier. What can we say about maternity leave, benefits, dairy cuisine and affordable baby food.
In the old days, the birth of a child, despite its apparent simplicity, was surrounded by a mass of customs, signs and rituals. Many of them today have acquired a scientific explanation and are quite applicable.
Place for childbirth
Many people remember stories about peasant women giving birth right in the field, in a barn or in a bathhouse. Mentions of childbirth at home are much less common. This is due to the fact that the place of birth was considered “unclean”.
And the point is not only in sanitary conditions, but in the fact that women could use foul language during contractions and attempts. Therefore, the most suitable place for childbirth was considered a bathhouse. Before giving birth, her wooden walls and floor were polished white and steamed in a certain sequence to ensure an easy birth.
Childbirth position
Devices and chairs for childbirth were invented by doctors more for their own convenience than for the comfort of the woman in labor.
Photo source: matrinstvo.ru18th century birth chair
There were no such structures before. The position for childbirth was recommended by the midwife, who acted as a doctor and midwife rolled into one. They say that simple peasant women often gave birth standing or squatting, often holding a bench or other support with their hands. Whereas ladies from high society gave birth lying down.
Other nationalities also have “active” postures during childbirth. In Holland, the bride's dowry included a special chair for childbirth, ancient Egyptian women gave birth squatting on a special sacred stone, in Japan there were also cases of childbirth while sitting, placing a bundle of straw, some peoples practiced joint childbirth - on the knees of the husband.
How to make childbirth easier
To make the birth process easier, there was a belief that everything must be opened so that the child can come into this world more easily. For this purpose, they opened doors and windows, drawers, stove dampers, untied every knot on the clothes of the woman in labor, and unbraided her hair.
They tried to inform about the birth only to the midwife, without telling strangers about it - they were afraid of the “evil eye”. The midwife sneaked into the house through the gardens so as not to attract attention.
During childbirth, wedding candles were lit in front of the icons.
Sometimes, to relieve tension, the mother in labor was given her own hair to chew. There is a mention of this by M. A. Bulgakov in the story “Notes of a Young Doctor”:
Three times they brought us women in labor. The poor woman lies and spits. The whole mouth is full of stubble. There is a sign that the birth will go easier.
Village “grandmothers” sometimes generously sprinkled the birth canal with sugar so that the child, having felt the sweetness, would be born sooner. There in Bulgakov:
...I come to a woman in labor... Well, of course, I explore, I feel something incomprehensible under my fingers in the birth canal: sometimes crumbly, sometimes pieces... It turns out that it’s refined sugar! ...The healer taught. She says the birth is difficult. The baby does not want to go out into God's light. Therefore, it is necessary to lure him out. So they were luring him out for something sweet!
After giving birth, the mother was not allowed to sleep, because they believed that if she fell asleep, the baby could be replaced by devils.
Newborn
The umbilical cord was usually tied with the mother's hair, as if connecting the mother with the baby. Then the umbilical cord, which had stopped pulsating, was cut.
The midwife performed the prototype of baby yoga, which is popular today, over the baby: she smoothed the arms, legs, tummy, and “ruled” the head.
Photo source: matrinstvo.ruK. V. Lemokh. New family member. 1880s
If a weak child was born, he was sent to be “baked” in the oven. The fact is that the mother's womb was considered a kind of oven. And if the baby was “not baked”, then he was placed on a shovel three times inside the cooling oven, believing that now he would be stronger and stronger.
Then the baby was washed. This was done in special water, prepared in a special way: using salt, a chicken egg and a silver coin.
At the same time they said:
Grandmother did not wash for cunning, not for wisdom, She washed soap for the sake of good health, She washed away the cleansing place, the tract, the sanctuary (different types of the evil eye). The water flows, Anyushka grows, The water goes to the ground, Anyushka goes up.
Afterwards, the water was poured onto the outside of the hut - on the corner where the icons were. They tried to splash higher, because they believed that the baby’s growth depended on this.
If necessary, the midwife herself adjusted the “spool” (in the language of healers, this is what the uterus is called), and “put in place” the internal organs. It is possible that these manipulations also became the cause of maternal mortality, which, as is known, was high. Modern doctors categorically prohibit any abdominal massage for two months after childbirth.
In various provinces there were traditions of burying the placenta under the wall of a house or under a tree; in some, the father had to bury it and plant a tree in this place. It had to be buried in a special way, observing centuries-old traditions.
Joint birth
They say that partner birth is by no means a newfangled novelty. In the old days, if the father was not hunting or on a long journey, he also took part in the process of childbirth: he untied the belt, gave water to his wife, and in case of severe pain, touched her back with his knee.
A newborn child was wrapped in his father’s shirt - so that “father would love him”, and then in his father’s sheepskin coat - so that he would be rich. At the same time, the shirt was removed directly from the father so that it retained its native smell.
The father himself was treated to porridge with salt and pepper and said:
It's salty and bitter to give birth.
Baptism
Previously, in Rus', a child was usually baptized on the ninth day of birth (often earlier). On this day he found his name. If they could not baptize during this period, then they tried not to leave the child unattended for a minute. Until the moment of baptism, all children were called Bogdans. Hence the popular saying:
Born, not baptized, so Bogdashka.
It was believed that after baptism the baby became healthier. It is also worth mentioning that the baby was dipped into cool water in the font, thereby triggering the body’s protective reactions.
Photo source: matrinstvo.ru
There were “signs” associated with the sacrament of baptism. For example, it was believed that if a lump of wax with a cut off strand of hair floats, it means the child will be healthy; if it spins, it’s fortunate, and if it drowns, it’s a bad sign. L.N. Tolstoy mentions this in his novel “War and Peace”:
...The nanny told him that a piece of wax with hairs thrown into the font did not sink, but floated along the font.
A good sign was the cry of a child when lowered into the font.
The cap was not removed for 12 days after baptism. The baptismal clothes were not used further, but were left for the baptism of other children, so that they would be friendly with each other.
After giving birth - immediately to the field?
Of course, according to modern ideas, there was no maternity leave in Rus'. But the idea that women immediately after giving birth went to work in the fields is far from true.
Photo source: matrinstvo.ruA. Venetsianov. At the harvest. Summer
At the beginning of the 12th century, the granddaughter of Vladimir Monomakh, Eupraxia, wrote a treatise on feminine hygiene, which states that a pregnant woman should beware of fatigue, and after a difficult homeland it is important for her to rest and keep her body clean - wash in a bathhouse every three days. A nursing mother should be helped in every possible way - freed from hard work and given additional nutrition.
Excerpt from V. Berdinsky’s book “Peasant Civilization in Russia”:
...And after giving birth, women in labor are placed on the floor on rye straw, where they lie for a week. During all this time, every day, twice, the bathhouse is warmed up, where she goes in the most tattered clothes with a crutch in her hand, to show that childbirth was not easy for her - to avoid “lessons” that can cause her to get sick. When returning from the bathhouse, you need to lean on the shoulder of the midwife or husband.
Quote from the brochure “Self-healing and bestial treatment of the Russian old-time population of Siberia”:
Others lie in bed until five, even until nine “days”, if there is someone to “walk around the house”... A woman who has given birth for six weeks is considered half dead... That’s how these guys get it! (...) In reality, she cannot milk a cow for six weeks. Only this is done in large families, where there is someone to replace them.
Women in harsh living conditions, for example during wars, or recently widowed, were forced to go “to the field” almost immediately after giving birth, since someone had to feed the family. Few people know about the consequences of such “early exits.” These women then wore a special sling that passed between the crotch and was tied at the shoulder. This device held the falling internal organs.
Lack of hygiene, frequent epidemics, and lack of medical care greatly affected maternal and child mortality rates in those days.
It must be admitted that in general the level of health, physical strength and strength of the mothers was quite high. Constant physical activity, fresh air and natural foods helped increase the body's defenses. Alas, many of us today are deprived of all this, which also affects the course of pregnancy and childbirth.
Alexandra Lukashina
Motherinstvo.ru
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How they gave birth, “finished”, baptized, bathed, fed, and swaddled babies in Rus'.
Birth of a child from ancient times, the Slavs considered it a miracle and a gift from God. But at the same time, a newly born baby was also considered dangerous and unclean, belonging to an alien world. That is why, in his understanding of society, he needed to be “humanized and completed,” like some kind of soft material from which a person had to be molded, “created.”
Literally the whole life of a woman in Rus' was focused on children, because at that time having many children was socially necessary. And only she could guarantee the reproduction of the population after numerous epidemics and bloody wars, which from century to century claimed tens of thousands of lives.
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Sacrament of birth
passes from the world of the dead to the world of the living."
Pregnant village women were in labor and worry until the very birth, and sometimes they had to give birth both in the field and at home alone, and of course with the help of midwives. As a rule, women gave birth outside the residential building. Most often, a well-heated bathhouse or barn was used. In order for women’s flesh to open faster and release the child, women’s braids were undone and chests and doors were thrown open. The woman in labor was usually helped by a grandmother who knew a lot about this.
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The midwife had to receive the baby, cut and tie the umbilical cord, wash and"подправить" ребенка и еще пару суток присмотреть за ним, пока мать отлеживалась и приходила в себя.!}
Cord cutting
According to the rituals, it was believed that the child's umbilical cord should be cut off with a knife or sickle at a distance of at least three centimeters. When the umbilical cord was cut off for a boy, it was always done on an oak block or on an ax handle, and for a girl - on an alder board or on a spindle. This ritual meant that the boy would become a jack of all trades, and the girl would become a hardworking needlewoman. Having tied the navel with a linen thread, with the hair of the baby's parents woven into it, the midwife washed it thoroughly.
Washing
Considerable attention was paid to the first washing of the child who was about to enter the world of people. The midwife at this time seemed to be trying to “blind” the newborn. She stroked his head, giving it roundness, squeezed his nostrils, forming a nose, and evened out his arms and legs. And after the bathing procedure and the formation of a small body, the child was wrapped in his father’s dirty shirt, since it was believed that it was the old, worn thing that would serve as a connection between generations. Thus, the child, having been imbued with the spirit of the father, had to be introduced to the human race.And surprisingly, the baby could not be bathed for up to six weeks. At the same time, he became covered with a red rash, which was called “blooming” and at this time it was strictly forbidden to wash him. And in the future the child was not particularly bathed; he was washed with all household members once a week.
Finishing the child
People believed that a child was born “raw” from the mother’s womb, hence the ritual of “finishing” and “finishing” in some regions. The baby was wrapped in unleavened rye dough, tied to a shovel and placed in a warm oven like bread. The mother “worried” a premature or weak baby by dragging her child three times through the collar of the shirt from top to bottom, thereby improvising the child’s return to another world and his rebirth.
Naming
Having delivered the baby and washed the baby, the midwife went to the priest, who was supposed to baptize the child and give him a name. And only in rare cases, when the child was very weak and was about to die, was the midwife allowed to baptize the child, dipping him three times in the font, and give him a name.https://static.kulturologia.ru/files/u21941/219416765.jpg" alt="Baptism of an infant.
Relatives were chosen as godparents for the newborn, giving preference to the young and single. In many places in Russia it was customary for a child to have one godfather. The boy was baptized by his godfather, and the girl by her godmother.
The godparents had to buy the newborn baby from the midwife on the third day after birth and carry him to church. According to custom, on the way to the temple, godfathers were forbidden to look back and talk. Baptism itself was equated to birth, which had already happened"настоящим", когда малыш должен был быть включен в мир людей. При этом крестные родители обязательно должны были подарить крестнику крестик, пояс и рубаху. Именно эти предметы отличали человека крещеного.!}
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And there were many signs by which the share or lack thereof was determined. So, for example, if a baby was born face down, it meant that he would die soon; if he has long hair on his arms, legs, or in a “shirt,” he will be happy; with a twisted umbilical cord - there will be a soldier; a daughter who resembles her father or a son who resembles her mother are happy.
Very often, the share was embodied in cooked porridge for the “baptismal” dinner, to which all the heads of the village families were invited and after which each was given a portion of the porridge intended for their children. Thus, each child symbolically received his part of the share after the next redistribution.
Swaddling a baby
In village life, it was customary to tightly swaddle a baby until almost six months of age in diapers, tightening the top with a belt - a “swaddle.” The child had the appearance of a cocoon and, according to the women, this aligned the legs and arms well and was supposed to promote sound sleep.pacifier." It was a rag with crushed sweet pretzel, or sweetened plain porridge wrapped in it.
The baby very early had to try cow's milk, bread, and cereals, and everything that the adult family members ate. And if he was born in the summer, then he did not have to rely on breast milk at all. Those who had another mother in the family feeding the child were luckier; then the women took turns feeding the children.
The entire household, field and household work associated with cooking, washing, cleaning, as well as giving birth and raising children, rested on the fragile shoulders of women. All these hardships of life very quickly undermined their health and the women died quite early.
No less interesting is the story about that 200 years ago.
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