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How did people understand pregnancy BEFORE modern medicine?

HistoryExtra’s Ellie Cawthorne took a brief look back at the wonderfully strange, surprisingly clever and occasionally downright bizarre history of pregnancy

• Ellie Cawthorne

Published: February 6, 2026 at 10:17 AM

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What did people in the past do to not only diagnose pregnancy, but to ensure the health of mothers and babies in the nine months before birth?

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To find out, HistoryExtra’s Ellie Cawthorne took a brief look back at the wonderfully strange, surprisingly clever and occasionally downright bizarre history of pregnancy – it's a far from comprehensive but fascinating snapshot into this subject.

Authors

Ellie CawthorneHead of content (audio)

Ellie Cawthorne is head of content (audio) at HistoryExtra

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