Author Topic: Did Women of This Era Use Chloroform in Child Birth?  (Read 11713 times)

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ferngully

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Re: Did Women of This Era Use Chloroform in Child Birth?
« Reply #15 on: April 28, 2006, 12:12:07 PM »
she didn't like giving birth and not having relations with her husband, i guess kids got in the way of that ;D

Offline Romanov_fan

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Re: Did Women of This Era Use Chloroform in Child Birth?
« Reply #16 on: May 01, 2006, 10:39:10 AM »
True enough. She was lucky she did not have to do that much to with her kids when they were young, if she didn't want to, for lower class women in that era would have had to. She was a good mother, not just into the early part of parenting-but then how many people actually are? Perhaps fewer than you would think. She proved a good mother when her children were older, and she was an excellant grand mother.

Prince_Christopher

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Re: Did Women of This Era Use Chloroform in Child Birth?
« Reply #17 on: May 06, 2006, 10:17:48 AM »
Victoria did like some babies.  She adored her lady-in-waiting Marie Mallet's son Victor, who was QV's godson.  She demanded to see him and found him attractive and charming and good, and loved his blonde curls.  She often invited him to stay with her as her personal guest and as a playmate for the Battenberg children.  However, QV was in the last few years of her life at this point and had mellowed greatly, and she didn't meet the boy until he was about 2 years old and could talk to her.

Offline Prince_Lieven

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Re: Did Women of This Era Use Chloroform in Child Birth?
« Reply #18 on: May 06, 2006, 10:43:08 AM »
Good point Prince Christopher - QV took a great interest in her grandchildren, especially their health anf physical appearence (didn't she called Young Affie 'greedy' and suspected her would turn out like his fat Russian uncles?  ;D and Toria of Wales was famously the 'mere little red lump'). But as you say, she had by then mellowed out and was more open minded.
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Prince_Christopher

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Re: Did Women of This Era Use Chloroform in Child Birth?
« Reply #19 on: May 06, 2006, 11:04:31 AM »
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Good point Prince Christopher - QV took a great interest in her grandchildren, especially their health anf physical appearence (didn't she called Young Affie 'greedy' and suspected her would turn out like his fat Russian uncles?  ;D and Toria of Wales was famously the 'mere little red lump'). But as you say, she had by then mellowed out and was more open minded.

I think she did love them all, ugly or not.  It is funny and shocking how she (and others) referred to the "ugliness" of their own children as babies in conversation and in letters as well.  I think she also called them "disgusting objects", or something to that effect. Poor Toria, and one of Helena's daughters got hit with the ugly stick as well....

From Letters from Court:

"At dinner came the telegram announcing the birth of twins to Princess Margaret [of Prussia/Hesse-Cassel].  The Queen laughed very much and is rather amused at the list of her great grandchildren being added to in such a rapid manner."

Balmoral.  November 7th, 1896

Offline Prince_Lieven

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Re: Did Women of This Era Use Chloroform in Child Birth?
« Reply #20 on: May 06, 2006, 11:13:46 AM »
The whole thing about being extremely frank about people's appearences seems to have been a trait in QV's family. I think it was just in her nature - she was incapable of dissimulation, even if it was for the better!
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Prince_Christopher

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Re: Did Women of This Era Use Chloroform in Child Birth?
« Reply #21 on: May 06, 2006, 11:22:08 AM »
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The whole thing about being extremely frank about people's appearences seems to have been a trait in QV's family. I think it was just in her nature - she was incapable of dissimulation, even if it was for the better!

Yes, I agree.  I think she was honest and frank in all aspects of her life.

Offline Grace

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Re: Did Women of This Era Use Chloroform in Child Birth?
« Reply #22 on: May 06, 2006, 04:05:06 PM »
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Quote

Poor Toria, and one of Helena's daughters got hit with the ugly stick as well....



Being brutally frank about personal appearances is clearly not restricted to QV and her era only... :( :-[

Prince_Christopher

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Re: Did Women of This Era Use Chloroform in Child Birth?
« Reply #23 on: May 06, 2006, 04:50:22 PM »
You are so right, Grace!  I guess it goes to show how we sometimes unknowingly emulate those we look up to.  

BTW, I'm having a really good laugh about it now.... ;)

Offline Romanov_fan

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Re: Did Women of This Era Use Chloroform in Child Birth?
« Reply #24 on: May 08, 2006, 10:36:10 AM »
Queen Victoria was very frank about her relatives physical appearance, and traits, and also that of many other fellow royals. One sees this in her children a bit too. I guess it was a trait of the family, to be very honest about such things. Perhaps that makes her language about young kids seem more brutal than it actually was.
« Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by romanov_fan »