Queen Victoria (1819-1901) had nine children: five girls and
four boys. There were seventeen years between the birth of her eldest and her
youngest. She hoped her offspring would come to dominate the courts of Europe,
and she raised her children accordingly. At the same time, she hated having to
endure the pain of childbirth. When she was expecting her eighth child,
Victoria made a bold and controversial decision: she would be anesthetized for
the birth. The queen faced widespread criticism for this, from doctors who worried
chloroform might be dangerous for her and the baby to clergy who insisted
reducing a woman’s pain in childbirth was contrary to the bible. (There are
actually several verses interpreted to mean women are meant to suffer.) I guess
if you’re queen, you don’t have to listen to anyone. Victoria slept through
Prince Leopold’s birth. She was so pleased with the results, chloroform was
also used when Princess Beatrice was born.
No comments:
Post a Comment