Pregnancy may be tough in any era,
but giving birth in Ancient Egypt was certainly no picnic on the Nile. With
infant mortality rates of up to 50% and little protection for mothers from labor complications,
the Ancient Egyptians enlisted a combination of practical tools and cultural mysticism
throughout pregnancy and childbirth. Today on Nutty History, we’re looking at what pregnancy
was like in Ancient Egypt. Before we can bring you the fruits of our labor, be sure to subscribe
to our channel and let us know in the comments what nutty history you’d like to hear about next.
Ancient Egyptians had a pretty advanced sex-ed curriculum for their time. They utilized a variety
of contraception methods over the years. Some of these methods, such as inserting
a blockade of crocodile dung and sour milk into the vagina, might be best left behind in history.
But others were surprisingly tech-savvy for the time. Ancient Egyptians created the first condoms
from linen as a means of preventing the spread of disease. Women would also use various components
from the acacia tree for birth control. Acacia gum has been found to have spermicidal properties,
so this method was actually accurate. Croc-manure is no longer necessary, ladies! Studies have also
shown that certain times of the year were more popular for conception. July and August were the
most popular months for baby-making, coinciding with Roman-Egyptian fertility festivals. December
and January saw the least amount of conceptions, which could be related to early Christian sexual
prohibitions during the advent and lenten seasons. Ancient Egyptians understood that it
takes two to tango, and knew that men provided an important ingredient to the reproductive process.
Still, when it came to fertility problems, it was generally assumed that the woman required
treatment. One suggested remedy was for a woman to squat over a hot stew of frankincense, oil,
dates, and beer and allow the vaporous mixture to enter her womb. Talk about a steamy scene.
In addition to birth control, Ancient Egyptians had an array of pregnancy tests both practical
and peculiar. Much like the pregnancy tests of today, one of the most accurate methods
involved peeing on things and waiting. The test-taker would urinate on bags of
emmer and barley seed. If neither grew, the woman was not pregnant. If the emmer grew,
it was thought that the woman was expecting a girl, and if the barley grew,
a boy. Modern studies of this technique show that a non-pregnant person’s urine does in fact
prevent growth of the seeds, and as a pregnancy test alone, the method is about 70% accurate.
However, the part about determining the sex of the baby was, in scientific terms,
hogwash. So we don’t recommend the bag-peeing method for your gender reveal party.
Other pregnancy tests with less proven results included covering a woman’s breasts with oil and
examining the color of the veins, and more weird milk mixtures. A woman who had previously borne
a son would mix her milk with melon puree, and the woman taking the test would drink it. If she
became sick, she was thought to be pregnant. Hey, it’s cheaper than the tests at CVS.
While Ancient Egypt is known for its cutting edge medical advancements and technologies, childbirth
did not appear to be a healthcare focus. There isn’t much evidence that the Egyptians had a
gynecological unit or any physician-assisted births at all. It’s thought that other women acted
as midwives during labor. While nobility would be more likely to have maidservants or nurses
to attend to them, for lower class women, friends, family members or neighbors might act as midwives.
Sisters were doing it for themselves. Records of childbirth practices are sparse, but some,
such as the Kahun and Ebers Papyri, detail medical knowledge and notes on the subject.
However, as most of the expectant mothers of the time were illiterate,
it’s unlikely they could read up on the subject. It’s more probable that many birthing practices
were passed on through generations of women and midwives in a game of telephone Web MD.
Giving birth was not a hospital bound affair. Women would deliver their babies on the cool
roof of a house or in a birthing arbor, which was essentially a room annexed to the home made of
papyrus stalks and vine covering. Women gave birth standing, kneeling, or squatting, and often used
birthing bricks or chairs to maintain a position, with the midwife catching the baby upon delivery.
Careful, newborns are slippery. Midwives might place a dish of hot water beneath a birthing
chair to produce steam and ease delivery. There is not a lot of evidence of medical tools for labor,
but it’s thought that certain items may have been utilized including a scissor like instrument and
a special knife for cutting the umbilical cord. That might sound painful, but the umbilical cord
actually has no nerves. We’re not so sure about those scissor jaws of life though.
Beyond the physical, Egyptians understood the importance of emotional well-being of
expectant mothers. Birthing arbors and bricks were painted with scenes of childbirth and womanhood,
which might have helped create a positive environment for those experiencing a painful and
dangerous process. While pregnant women of ancient Egypt faced a long and life-threatening journey,
motherhood meant respect and an increased status in society.
Religion played an important role in Ancient Egyptian childbirth.
Mortality rates were high for both infants and mothers, which led the Egyptians to seek the help
of gods and goddesses for a safe delivery. The god Bes was associated with pregnancy and delivery,
and was also enlisted to ward off evil spirits and demons. Tawaret, a goddess
with the head of a hippo, was also commonly invoked to help with pregnancy and children.
These, and others, such as Isis and Hathor, were often depicted in the birthing environment,
in amulets and ivory-carved “birthing wands” that would be placed on the pregnant woman’s abdomen.
Prayers, spells, and chants were also common during labor to assist in a speedy and pain-free
delivery. After an incantation, the pregnant woman might go a step further and take on the persona of
one of these goddesses and claim that she herself is Hathor in order to fend off evil or harm.
Going through labor while also reincarnating into a goddess sounds like a lot of work,
but whatever gets the job done! If all else failed, another spell threatened the gods with
disaster if anything went wrong during the delivery. Don’t mess with a woman in labor.
The unusual testing methods didn’t stop after the baby was born. A sick baby’s chances of survival
were assessed through the particular sounds of its cries and facial expression. If the infant made a
sound like creaking pine trees or turned its face downward, it was expected to die. That’s...oddly
specific, but okay. Parents immediately named their children. Babies might be named after a
deity to ensure their protection. Others based the names off of physical traits or occupations.
For instance Pakamen, which means “the blind one,” or “Pakapu,” meaning birdcatcher. That’s a lot of
career pressure to put on a newborn! For postnatal care, mothers were advised to eat a mouse,
as this was thought to cure a number of ailments and pass along benefits through the breast milk.
Probably not the first thing most new mothers are craving. Menstrual blood was also believed
to possess powerful properties, and was rubbed on newborns to ward off demons.
We’re guessing demons aren’t the only ones who’d steer clear of these blood covered babies.
But let us know in the comments about your own weird pregnancy woes for the next Nutty History.