Our ancestors couldn’t afford kids either. People cited cost as a reason to avoid pregnancy back in the Middle Ages. The idea that everyone prior to the 20th century was popping them out like rabbits is a myth. Abortion and various types of birth control have always been used to limit family sizes. - ThreadSky

dirtysexyhistory.bsky.social • 7 days ago

Our ancestors couldn’t afford kids either. People cited cost as a reason to avoid pregnancy back in the Middle Ages. The idea that everyone prior to the 20th century was popping them out like rabbits is a myth. Abortion and various types of birth control have always been used to limit family sizes.

Reposted from Matthew Facciani

Our ancestors also had 50% of their children die before they reached puberty.

Comments

kotonoaware.bsky.social•5 days ago

People in Ye Olden Times were employing 12th month abortions to limit family size...

serienya.bsky.social•6 days ago

Ben Franklin published a book on home remedies that included a list of abortifacients.

dirtysexyhistory.bsky.social•6 days ago

That’s right!

nicoladauthor.bsky.social•7 days ago

Yeah, someone wanna tell these dumbasses about all the places little kids were dropped off with a locket or note or key to identify if lucky, cos parents couldn't afford them.

dirtysexyhistory.bsky.social•7 days ago

~But everyone had two parents and their mom stayed at home, cooking non-adulterated and nutritionally balanced food three times a day, and no one ever died of poverty or horrible diseases, dontcha know~

dirtysexyhistory.bsky.social•7 days ago

For people who talk so much about history and tradition, they know sweet fuck all about it

mooiest.bsky.social•6 days ago

Or they’d leave a scrap of fabric with the kid. I watched a show that was recreating historical clothing from famous works of art and they referred to the foundlings collection of fabric because it was so huge and preserved in case parents came back.

csrosbak.bsky.social•6 days ago

I love this collection, it's one of the few records we have of what poor people wore.

luckydagger.bsky.social•6 days ago

Iirc either the greeks or romans used a contraceptive plant to the point it went extinct? I can't remember the name of it. I will link an article if i find anything.

dirtysexyhistory.bsky.social•6 days ago

Silphium!

luckydagger.bsky.social•6 days ago

Ah here we go.
https://allthatsinteresting.com/silphium

jlshannonhouse.bsky.social•7 days ago

No no they could afford kids it's not like cultures were full of stories of abandoned children or convents had drop boxes for unwanted babies or anything
/Extreme sarcasm

dirtysexyhistory.bsky.social•7 days ago

Exactly

jlshannonhouse.bsky.social•7 days ago

Lol next you are going to tell me that it was so common that some people made a living by collecting abandoned children and selling them as slaves

dirtysexyhistory.bsky.social•7 days ago

Not to mention “baby farming”

sinboy.bsky.social•6 days ago

If musk ever had to do the amount of child care needed for his entire stable of sperm donation recipients, he'd go nuts in under a week.

vivekr.bsky.social•6 days ago

There’s also low socioeconomic mobility. A lot of people just don’t want to doom kids to being part of the perpetual underclass, especially underneath people like Elon Musk

lizrd.bsky.social•6 days ago

And when they didn't or couldn't, it looked like Angela's Ashes.

jamtoday.bsky.social•7 days ago

References to doctors "unblocking menses" are all over the place, what on earth do people think that meant? What would "block" a woman's period from coming, hmm? I wonder.

dirtysexyhistory.bsky.social•6 days ago

Indeed! And plenty of sources admit that these and abortifacients are the same thing

kbigel.bsky.social•5 days ago

thank you! In the 1950's, suburban women all knew where to go for abortions because having too many kids was expensive. (source: my mother)

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