In Bed with the Tudors: The Sex Lives of a Dynasty from Elizabeth of York to Elizabeth I by Amy Licence Read Free Book Online

During the months of her pregnancy, the queen would have been attended by doctors and physicians, such as Walter Lemster, to whom Henry granted £40 a year for life that February. The royal nursery would be presided over by Elizabeth Denton, who, in 1509, received the gift of Coldharbour House for life as a reward for her services. As unlicensed practitioners, midwives would have been chosen according to their moral standing, appearance, experience and reputation; quite probably they already had associations with the family and may have delivered siblings, cousins or friends. The varying reputations of ‘wise women’ could be determined by factors beyond their control, like maternal health and infant mortality but they were usually older women, past their childbearing years, who had been in attendance at many lyings-in. There was little pre-natal care in the modern sense but once they arrived in the birth chamber, they assumed absolute control. As Elizabeth’s labour pains intensified, she may have lain on her pallet bed, walked about the room or knelt. A midwife may even have brought or commissioned her own ‘groaning chair’, allowing her to attend the delivery whilst another helped the queen brace herself against the pain and pressed down on the top of her womb. Some midwives used rope tourniquets to aid expulsion whilst others employed massage, warm towels and applied herbal remedies to speed up uterine contractions. A midwife’s job was also to remain calm and be cheery and encouraging, in which she would lead the other women in setting the tone of the chamber.
    Unsurprisingly, the male-authored accounts do not describe whether Elizabeth’s labour was long or difficult; once the heir had safely arrived, such details may have not been considered important. However, it would have made all the difference for the queen. As a first birth, it was an unknown quantity and probably a daunting experience for the young woman, despite the collective wisdom of her gossips. She may well have observed the births of her younger siblings, especially in attendance on her mother through the difficult years of sanctuary, yet observing and participating differ vastly. Considering her youth and relatively quick recovery, she most likely experienced a relatively straightforward delivery once the baby began to crown during the night of 19/20 September. Finally, in the early hours of the morning, a healthy child arrived. The prophets were proved right: it was a boy. Following a quick examination, the midwife declared him perfect. The little prince’s umbilical cord would have been cut and anointed with powdered frankincense or aloe, before he was washed in a mixture of wine, herbs or milk and rubbed with butter or the oil of almonds, roses or nuts to close his pores, so that the air would not harm them. Then he was tightly swaddled, placed in the cradle and given a spoonful of wine and sugar. The eleventh-century Italian female physician Trotula of Salerno recommended a newborn’s tongue to be washed with hot water to ensure clear speech or else rubbed with honey to stimulate a healthy appetite. While her baby slept, Elizabeth delivered the placenta. This was achieved through a ‘mini-labour’ during which her womb was again massaged until the afterbirth arrived. The women would have checked it carefully before disposal, as any remaining fragments could lead to fatal haemorrhaging later. Finally, Elizabeth was briefly washed down with fine linen cloth or clean sponge and allowed to rest. She was not allowed to sleep for a couple of hours after delivery, so her women would have kept her diverted and cheered with their chatter. Her aching body would have been soothed with the best ointments and cures, using well-known herbal and floral remedies to staunch the flow of blood and ease blood-flow and pains; the days following were crucial for her health and recovery. Natural light was not supposed to penetrate the room for at least three