A lot of medical practices that we observe now can be traced
back to the past. We are fortunate that we have access to modern medicine and
pregnant women get the care they need without the risk of infection, worse
death. The middle ages is known as the Renaissance, where artists, philosophers
and doctors have cooked up many ways to make living easier. Some of it may seem
mad but believe it or not, people actually observed it. Here is a list of what
to avoid during pregnancy.
Michele Savonarola, court physician of the powerful Este
family of Ferrara in Italy wrote a book called De Regime Pregnantium. It
contained advice of food and drinks that should and should not be taken during
pregnancy. Like physicians today, Savonarola believed that what the mother eats
will greatly affect her unborn child. He not only dedicated his life and
expertise in taking care of the pregnant noblewomen of Ferrara but he also
thought of medical ways to ensure the health of both mother and child, most
especially in making sure that the baby would be male.
Savonarola advised that mothers consume dry food. He further
stated that it was best to avoid drinking cold water because it is not good for
the fetus and would generate girls. Instead he advised that moms drink red wine
instead. Furthermore, consumption of warm and dry food will remove the inferior
qualities of women and shape the fetus to become a strong and healthy male.
There could be strong intellectual women at that time who
rolled their eyes at him; but in a world dominated by men, their opinions
hardly matter. Members of the nobility would rejoice in the coming of a son but
not so much as daughters.
He also advised mothers not to overindulge in the same kind
of food because it risks miscarriage. Fruits like the pomegranate, though sweet
is not advisable because it is highly acidic which can upset the stomach. It
would be better to mix it with wine or drink is as a juice.
That was the practice in Italy, but what about other places?
What to avoid during pregnancy when you’re a noble woman in England during the
middle ages? In the late stages of pregnancy, noble women would go into
confinement. This is like going back inside the womb where women are shut in a
room, shutters closed, drapes drawn and a crucifix so she can pray. She is
attended by servants and only female members of her family. Although, there
were times that her husband may come visit her.
The idea of a confinement is to make sure that the woman is relaxed. She
will only come out after 40 days of giving birth. She will then be “churched”
to cleanse her. There is a big party to
welcome her back to society, perform her duties as wife and back to breeding
babies again.
These practices and medical advice may all seem mad to us
modern people but this paved the way to what we practice today. Crazy as it may
seem, some of these food, drinks and practices make sense. Hopefully, you did find what to avoid during
pregnancy in medieval times insightful or even perhaps an entertaining read.