number of pregnancies/children

[lgardner2000]

Hello,

I am currently reading a book which is a true story of a midwife in London in the 1950's. In the book one lady had given birth 25 times, she had had 25 pregnancies, no multiple births. and as far as i know all survived. including her 25th pregnancy which she gave birth to at 28weeks gestation.

My question is how many pregnancies and children have people found in there research. (from one women)

From memory if i am correct as i am not currently at home and have not got information with me. My Gt grandfather was one of 14. Which im sure isnt a lot.

Thanks
Lisa

[Finley 1]

My OH father was one of 15  (he is not sure though  could have been more...  I will now search the 1911)

xin

[joanna69]

My 3 x great Grandmother had 16 children. 

She married in 1842 aged 20.  Children born:

1843
1844
1845
1847
1848
1850
1852
1853
1855
1856
1858
1859
1861 (twins)
1863
1865

She died in 1865 (the year her last child was born).  She was 42 years old.

I feel it was all too much for her personally.  Her life was pregnany and giving birth.

Her husband was one of 16 himself... his mother was also pregnant for most of her life.  She also died the year her 16th child was born. 

Part of me feels bad for these women.  They were baby machines.  Their bodies must have been exhausted from the effort!

[Kim1980]

I know what book you're reading  Her other one, Shadows of the Workhouse is really good too.

I have lots of 'strings' of 14/15 children. Really feel for the poor mothers!

Kim

[Finley 1]

It does seem and is extremely sad to think that Women were hardly more than baby machines..  Thank goodness for choice.  It is not all that long since there was no choice.... But I think today the choices are too great and in some cases too extreme.  It is easy for girls to take a 'pill' to prevent or dispose of possible interference in their life... That is not good - well for me I feel it is wrong.  I do understand necessities for prevention and protection against mistakes, and I do know mistakes happen.  Nothing is infallible... but  sometimes its easy to just have fun and not think ahead, and then pop a pill... WRONG  .. 
The Education or lack of it in our great grandparents life time often  meant they welcomed these inevitable pregnancies and troiled through life without great expectations or wanting more.  Today WANT and need and expectations are all that is considered. 
There did seem to be a 'natural' population control.... due to the amount of early deaths.. I don't know.  It is a difficult one.  I just wish that girls were more careful and appreciate more what taking that pill actually means.

sorry  just my thoughts...

[lgardner2000]

Hi all. Not as many as I thought then. Thought there would be more than 16.

Kim, just finished reading the first book. Have you read all three of her books? I couldn't believe it when I read 25th pregnancy & thought that was very unusual for the 1950's. Also you wouldn't think her body would cope with that many pregnancies.

Lisa

[angelfish58]

Most of mine seem to fall in the 10-12 range, but one 2xgreat grandma had two babies in one year, one born Jan 1848 the second Oct 1848  her husband was still a teenager when the first one was born.

[jane l]

i have i lady who had 20  but 14 is not uncomman in my tree

[Matt R]

My 4x gt granny Caroline Wertheim gave birth twelve times, after marrying a Polish migrant in early 1837.

1837 - twins
1839
1841
1842
1844
1846
1848
1850
1852
1855
1857 - twins
1859

Only four made it past twenty one

Pardon the irony of this sentence but we don't know we're born do we!

Matt