Menstrual products

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How did Medieval women deal with their cycles?

In todays day in age a lot of us have access to running water, sanitary products, and the ability to keep ourselves clean at all times.

Have you ever asked yourself what Medieval women did every month?

Lets talk about periods..

Women in medieval times had menstrual cycles like you and me. They were considered taboo, medicine and the understanding of the human body wasn't well studied. They believed in the humoral Theory which was a Greek theory that the body was made up of four fluids. Black, Yellow or red bile, blood, and phlegm. If you had too much of one it was believed that it would lead to disease. Since women bleed every month the doctors believed it was a sign or illness and they were getting rid of their extra blood. People even "believed that anyone who was currently menstruating could make people near them sick. And menstrual blood itself was thought to dull mirrors and even kill crops." (Sarah Waldorf, Larisa Grollemond, 03/02/23, Getting your period in The Middle Ages, Getty)

An illustration of a bloodletting, circa 1675. WELLCOME LIBRARY

Because of the lack of birth control methods women were often pregnant which made mensural cycles less often and it was lighter bleeding. For those who had heavier bleeding or the expected pain from period cramps there were herbal remedies such as Mentha pulegium to help.

Medieval sketch of a woman being controlled by her uterus, transforming her into an evil, boisterous beast

How did they catch the blood?

They couldn't run to the store for a box of Kotex, what did they use to catch the blood? Well, they would use a DIY pad made of linen, they would wash and reuse or a specific type of moss because of its absorbency. However, other women would just free bleed due to lack of alternatives.

Giving birth in the Medieval Period

Now that we have talked about menstrual cycles, lets talk about giving birth in medieval times. It was a dangerous affair and there was a high mortality rate for mothers and babies. The event was a group effort, families, priests, and midwives gathered to assist often at home or for aristocrats there was a designated birthing chamber. Midwives were underpaid and expected to be a moral authority to make sure children were baptized in fear for the child's soul. English Midwives were sometimes accused of witch craft, doctors and surgeons rarely helped in delivering, usually only in the instance of someone royal giving birth or the mother has passed and they would need to preform a cesarian in order to save the infant but the midwives commonly were trained to do that as well. Men were invested in the affair in the hopes of continuing the family line. 

fresco by painter da Milano in 1365 of The Birth of The Virgin. 

Giving birth in a hospital was not common, but for unmarried women given their poor social status it was usually the only option, there were also a lot of babies abandoned there who were then cared for by wet nurses. Since giving birth was not seen as a medical issue and physicians didn't often attend births there was not a lot of documented advice on giving birth. If someone had GYN issues, struggled with fertility, needed to turn the baby if it was breach, or even needed to be stitched up after birth there was documented advice on that.

Birth of Jacob and Esau in Hague MS MMW 10 A 11.