WHY do you believe the mortality rate for WOMEN related to giving BIRTH was so HIGH before modern medicine?

Question

Thats correct. Before modern medicine, men outlived women by far. And without modern medicine, this would STILL be the case.

The thing I don't understand is why women had such a hard time surviving a child birth? Most other female animals have a low mortality rate related to giving birth or reproducing.

Why is the human female so vulernable when pregnant?

Answer 1

The problem started when our ancestors began to walk upright. In order to stand up and be more able to see predators and other dangers, the pelvis needed to be smaller for balance.

While this smaller pelvis and new ability proved to be helpful in most cases, it meant pregnancy and child birth is more dangerous because the opening for the child is so much smaller.

This being the only downside to standing upright, the species thrived despite of many women dying in labour. Yes, we've paid the price of evolution. You're welcome : )

Answer 2

Most childbirth deaths were related to a couple of things: bleeding out (they had no way to stop bleeding), sepsis (from the doctor or midwife's dirty hands introducing germs into torn flesh) and babies in the wrong position that wouldn't descend.

I do not know why evolution has made it so difficult for humans to give birth when it's relatively easy for most other mammals.

During some points in history, a woman's chance of dying in childbirth were as high as one in 10.

Answer 3

Watch a birthing process and you'll have your answer.  We have a bad birthing process because its really unnatural for a baby to come out of a small opening especially if his feet are first.  Before medicine, women lost blood during complications, the blood pressure increases during high stress, and therefore the heart malfunctions.  So birthing is not natural at all.  And what does the doc do these days when a baby doesn't fit through the canal?  He performs a C-section.  This is not complicated, the mother lessens her chances of losses, and the baby and the mother lives.  

Plus humans can only give birth to 1 baby, while animals can give to multiples.  The human body is not geared to withstand another body forming in their own.  You otta know just by watching "Aliens" the movie. jk.

Answer 4

You can't be serious with this question? There is no way you honestly feel that human female is the fault of mortality during birth prior to modern medicine?

Prior to modern medical advancements for childbirth, many things where unknown about the human birthing process. Many people didn't understand how to deal with a "breech" born baby, they didn't understand internal bleeding, and they didn’t understand the relationship between sanitation and infection. Most women in those days would give birth on Monday, and be back to work in the fields or on farmland by Wednesday. We didn’t' have the medications, the tools, and the knowkneldge needed to assist a woman during or after the birth of a child. Like the evolution of man, the evolvement of medicine took place to aid in keeping both the baby and the mother alive before, during, and after the birth of life. But this was at the expense of the many women and children who passed away during the process.

Now, modern day women still die (and some times the babies as well) during child birth. I found out I just lost a high school class mate who’d passed after complications suffered during labor. The doctors where unable to stop the internal bleeding in time, and she died on the table. So I don't take too lightly to you making such an insensitive comment. I wonder how you would feel if you're mother had passed away after giving birth to you? Of did she? Could this be the root of your anger towards women? What ever qualms you may have with women, I ask peacefully and respectfully that you do not make such comments about something as sensitive as the vulnerability of women during the birthing of a child. You do not know who in this forum as lost a loved one(s) during child birth in their past, or who may be facing possible death of either the child, a wife, or a mother in the near future. That’s seriously very wrong of you to even think of such a question to post. I understand you hate all women, but be respectful of the deceased.  And there are animals that have passed away during birth. You can speak with you local veterinarian on the issue of mortality rates for wild and domestic animals during birth. May it be the other or the offspring. This question was completely out of line.

Answer 5

The mortality rate for women giving birth is still high in many areas around the world, especially among the poor in developing countries.

Answer 6

I know others have already answered this, but I'll add my two cents:

You are correct.Without the help of modern medicine, a woman's chances of dying while giving birth is relatively high. This is mostly because when humans started walking upright our hips became much more narrow as to allow walking on two legs comfortably and without waddling. The v****a also shifted positions, moving toward to front of the body. This is coupled with the contradictory evolutionary feat that humans have the largest head-to-body ratio of any mammal due to our large brains. Essentially, in many instances, the baby's big head gets stuck in the tiny birth canal. As Tracey also mentioned, hemorrhaging, infection, and breached births are also causes of death from childbirth.

Answer 7

The dreaded childbed fever (puerperal fever) claimed the lives of a lot of women.  But those who survivied it could still outlive men.  Plenty of married women survived childbirth and lived to a ripe old age.

I think most animal babies are easy to give birth to because they have smaller heads, they don't take so long to squeeze out as human babies do.