Complications After Childbirth for Native American Mothers? European Witnesses Said, “No.”

Some women sail through childbirth. For others, having a baby can really take it out of you. Postpartum headaches, exhaustion, mental fatigue. And when you throw pain-relieving drugs into the mix, I’ve heard there can be a bit of a hangover. Not so for Native American women who gave birth naturally. (Kneeling down, standing up and sitting were common birthing postures.) European witnesses during the 1700s, mostly men, many of them trappers, reported that problems were few for Native women during pregnancy and childbirth. Today, hospitals abound that accommodate pregnant mothers who desire natural childbirth.

Suellen Ocean is the author of Secret Genealogy IV – Native Americans Hidden in Our Family Trees:

Controversy Surrounded the Birth of Queen Victoria’s Eighth Child

We all love a bit of royal gossip. That was no different in April of 1853 when Queen Victoria used chloroform as an anesthetic when she delivered her eighth baby. Imagine the chatter heard within British households. “Chloroform? No! Doesn’t that kill you? And what about the poor baby. It will surely die.” The queen did not die, nor did her baby, and the practice spread throughout the kingdom.

Suellen Ocean is the author of the Civil War Era Historic Romance, Black Pansy:

What Is a Woman’s Proper Place?

We may not admit it but knowing where we stand as women is an important part of finding ourselves. It’s confusing for young women to know the ground rules when these days, there are many. There are the old rules left behind from the Victorian era. The rules from the Roaring Twenties that tempted women to bob their hair and express themselves through dance and politics. There are rules from the 1960s revolution, Women’s Lib, we called it. Some of those rules are impractical and do not fit today’s modern woman.

Imagine how women felt during the Civil War. They had to make changes to their belief systems. Sure, many women on farms did a lot of work. But imagine those prim and proper ladies whose men left for war. They took on new roles and changed the attitudes and the reality of American women. Yankee or Rebel. Never forgetting the role that African American women played during the Civil War, to make America what it is today.

Suellen Ocean is the author of the Civil War Era Historic Romance, Black Pansy:

Cold River Water Baby Bath?

I’ve seen the newsreels. People are jumping into cold water as a healthy therapy. I tried it years ago. I was in coastal Oregon on New Year’s Eve and celebrated the new year by stripping down and slipping into a cold stream. I was young, the forest was beautiful, and even though it was January 1^st, the winter weather was mild. But guess what? I now read that Native Americans celebrated their babies’ arrival by dipping their baby into the water, every day for a whole year. This invigorating ceremony may have been perfect for babies born in the 1700s. People were much heartier then. Especially those who lived within their natural environment, as Native Americans did.

Suellen Ocean is the author of Secret Genealogy IV – Native Americans Hidden in Our Family Trees:

Both WWII and the Civil War Changed Women’s Roles

There’s always been a lot of talk about women during WWII and how they left the home to take men’s places in the work force when the men left for the European battlefield. We’ve seen the pictures of Rosy the Riveter. And during the Civil War, women’s roles on the homestead (especially Southern women) have been widely portrayed. They kept up the farms when the men left to fight. What we need to remember too, are the thousands of women who became nurses and volunteers. Whether they assisted the Yankees or the Rebels, it was a turning point in American history.

Suellen Ocean is the author of the Civil War Era Historic Romance, Black Pansy:

Did Native Americans Allow Men to Observe Births?

If you’re a genealogist (if you’re spending time researching family, this includes you) you know there are a lot of differing “facts” and “opinions,” so we’re careful about believing or repeating them. This is the case of an entry that I saw that said that during the 1700s, Native American men were prohibited from observing the birth of their child. Many of these births were accomplished with the mother alone in nature to complete the process by herself. After creating a clean, soft spot where the newborn could land (on top of fresh leaves) the baby was born. Of course, there are plenty of reports of relatives and midwives who attended other births. But if these reports are true, in the 1700s, it was natural for Native women to birth their babies in private. Perhaps welcomed by a gentle breeze and the hoot of an owl.

Suellen Ocean is the author of Secret Genealogy IV – Native Americans Hidden in Our Family Trees: