Late pregnancies last century

In this popular TV series, the wife finds herself pregnant after 22 years of marriage in the year 1914. Her youngest daughter is age 18. The actress, Elizabeth McGovern is age 50, and we presume the character is probably in her 40's .

I was under the impression that childbirth to a woman at that time for her age was very dangerous. But it was pointed out to me that there were no modern contraceptives, and possibly there was only the rhythm method. As menopause occurs on average around age 51 today, I assume it was about the same last century.

Does anyone know what people did a hundred years ago? Did they get pregnant into their forties? Was it really that dangerous?

Quote: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

It's highly unusual for a woman to get pregnant on her own after age 45. In 2008 there were 0.7 births per 1,000 women ages 45 to 49, compared with 9.9 births per 1,000 women ages 44 to 40.

Quote: pacomartin

In this popular TV series, the wife finds herself pregnant after 22 years of marriage in the year 1914. Her youngest daughter is age 18. The actress, Elizabeth McGovern is age 50, and we presume the character is probably in her 40's .

I was under the impression that childbirth to a woman at that time for her age was very dangerous. But it was pointed out to me that there were no modern contraceptives, and possibly there was only the rhythm method. As menopause occurs on average around age 51 today, I assume it was about the same last century.

Does anyone know what people did a hundred years ago? Did they get pregnant into their forties? Was it really that dangerous?

Quote: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

It's highly unusual for a woman to get pregnant on her own after age 45. In 2008 there were 0.7 births per 1,000 women ages 45 to 49, compared with 9.9 births per 1,000 women ages 44 to 40.

After spending the last decade studying my genealogy, I know that up until about the early 20th century, it was the exception, not the rule, to have a large family. Looking at the ages of children in a family confirms that fertility goes down before menopause, though. A woman may have a child every year, then every other year, then five years later have her last child.

Here's trick question that I asked people for
years, and nobody ever got it right even
once. Up until about 1920, what was the
leading cause of death among people?
The answer is: Infant mortality. It killed
more humans than anything else. The
chances of living till 2 years old were very
slim. If a mother had 12 kids, maybe half
of them lived. Childbirth was the number
one killer of women. Older men married
16 year olds not because they were dirty
creeps, they wanted a fighting chance
a few kids would live. Older women died
of bleeding to death and infections picked
up in birthing. Bad stuff.

Quote: pacomartin

Does anyone know what people did a hundred years ago? Did they get pregnant into their forties? Was it really that dangerous?

First, I think contraception has been around for thousands of years. This is getting far from my area of expertise, but I think an ancient method was to use half a lemon skin as a diaphragm. When there is no other option there is always the method of pulling out, which is mentioned unfavorably in the Bible, and I believe the story behind the Catholic position against birth control.

Second, when I was on a cruise shop in Ketchikan, Alaska, I did a tour of a former brothel in the former "red light" part of town. I think the name was Creek Street. The town was the sin city of Alaska during the gold rush, which was around 1897. They certainly had condoms back then, because the tour guide pointed out art made from them by the former madam.

My mother had my youngest brother at 39, by the way.

Please tell me this isnt Downton Abbey? This is like Glee. Evil, and my argument for there being no God.

Quote: EvenBob

Here's trick question that I asked people for years, and nobody ever got it right even once. Up until about 1920, what was the leading cause of death among people?The answer is: Infant mortality.

Infant mortality is defined as the number of infant deaths (one year of age or younger) per 1000 live births. Currently, the most common cause is pneumonia. Other causes of infant mortality include: malnutrition, malaria, congenital malformation, infection and SIDS. Infanticide, child abuse, child abandonment, and neglect also contribute to a lesser extent.Traditionally, the most common cause worldwide was dehydration from diarrhea.

Since Infant Mortality is not really a cause of death, but just refers to the age of death, the more accurate answer to your trivia question would be dehydration.

At the beginning of the 20th century, for every 1000 live births, six to nine women in the United States died of pregnancy-related complications, and approximately 100 infants died before age 1 year.

So I guess what you are saying is that problems were so prevalent that any change in statistics in age of mothers was probably obscured by the overall high death rate. I can accept that as a reasonable answer.

Quote: Wizard

First, I think contraception has been around for thousands of years. This is getting far from my area of expertise, but I think an ancient method was to use half a lemon skin as a diaphragm.

I'd be surprised if that were as effective as a broken condom :)

Condoms, though, have been around for a very long time. They sued to be made with animal skins or, more commonly, animal's intestinal linings (like we do with sausages to this day!) They weren't very good either. For that matter modern altex condoms also can fail a number of ways.

Quote:

When there is no other option there is always the method of pulling out, which is mentioned unfavorably in the Bible, and I believe the story behind the Catholic position against birth control.

Formally known as, according to my high school biology teachers, coitus interruptus. It does work as well as a broken condom. Chances are the man will let go some sperm before pulling out, even if he spills most of his "seed" outside.

Back on topic, pregnancy complications can be very serious and life-threatening. That's why there's prenatal care. At the dawn of modern medicine, complications were bad news. And they dos trike more often older women than younger ones. So...

Quote: Wizard

First, I think contraception has been around for thousands of years.
Second, when I was on a cruise shop in Ketchikan, Alaska, I did a tour of a former brothel in the former "red light" part of town. I think the name was Creek Street. The town was the sin city of Alaska during the gold rush, which was around 1897. They certainly had condoms back then, because the tour guide pointed out art made from them by the former madam. My mother had my youngest brother at 39, by the way.

A mythical plant that was the principal means of birth control over 2000 years ago.

I doubt that most married couples used lemon skins or even condoms circa WWI. With a brothel they were completely aware of syphilis a hundred years ago so that would be different. Although there is an increased risk for every year over the age of 35, it gets worse in an exponential fashion in your late 40's.

We know that childbirth was much riskier last century for both mother and baby. I was just curious if anyone knew about taboos or precautions taken against pregnancy for older mothers.