A Queens Thoughts on Motherhood: Queen Victoria’s Candid Views on Babies
Queen Victoria was famous for her strong-willed nature and firm approach to governance; however, her unconventional views when it came to motherhood also surprised many people. Although she loved her children dearly, Queen Victoria often took an unconventional approach to parenting, childbirth and motherhood that differed significantly from what would be expected today. Queen Victoria’s views on babies and motherhood were heavily shaped by both societal expectations of the time as well as personal experience. Although unique perspectives can sometimes come into play when considering parenthood challenges like childbirth burdens or women’s roles within royal society – Queen Victoria devotedly mother who spoke out about the demands of motherhood demands; burdens associated with childbirth burdens as well as women roles within royal society has many unique viewpoints on motherhood demands and burdens related therein.
Queen Victoria’s Unconventional Views on Babies
Most mothers tend to show an affinity for their newborns, yet Queen Victoria was notoriously forthright when it came to her feelings towards infants – often calling them ugly! In one famous speech she made, Victoria famously declared an ugly baby was an “ugly object – and even the prettiest are frightening when naked.” While these comments might sound harsh today, they shed insight into Victoria’s candid attitude toward motherhood and the physical challenges involved with caring for a newborn!
Queen Victoria did not view babies as the delicate, angelic creatures we do today; rather, she found them somewhat unattractive during their early development. These views did not come from a lack of affection for her children; rather they arose due to a practical yet detached view of child-rearing that did not align with romanticized expectations of motherhood for women and queens of that period. She loved all three children deeply yet mothering did not live up to her romanticized expectations of what being a queen and woman should involve.
The Physicality of Motherhood: A “Cow or Dog” Comparison
Queen Victoria made headlines for one of her more telling quotes about motherhood: her comparison between giving birth and animal behaviour was insightful. She wrote, “I think much more of us being like cows or dogs at such moments; when our poor nature becomes so animal.” To her, pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding felt base and undignified-like animalistic behaviours and perceptions likely formed due to the physical aspects and cultural norms of her period.
Queen Victoria found breastfeeding particularly unattractive, openly criticizing women who chose this practice and dismissing it as “reducing women to the level of cats or dogs”. When she discovered that some of her daughters were breastfeeding their children, Victoria labelled them cows! As an elite family expected to uphold propriety and dignity, Queen Victoria had difficulty accepting its place within this image – this practice simply did not fit with what she considered proper behaviour for royalty.
Her strong opinions on breastfeeding led Victoria’s daughters, upon becoming mothers themselves, to hide their decision from her and not reveal that they intended to breastfeed their newborns; knowing full well she would disapprove and judge them harshly as “cows”, this showed both love and propriety when it came to motherhood – both which Victoria considered vitally important traits of motherhood.
Dismissing the “Sanctimummy” Lifestyle
Queen Victoria took an unfavourable view of motherhood beyond breastfeeding alone, however. She took particular issue with what became known as “sanctimony” culture – where women would devote their days entirely to caring for the needs of their children – warning her daughters against becoming solely dedicated to nurseries as this could cause “baby brain,” the concept that mothers can lose some intellectual abilities from spending too much time focusing on raising young ones.
Queen Victoria was greatly shaped by her royal status, as it required a large staff to care for her children. While she deeply loved them all, Queen Victoria seemed disinclined towards some of the more laborious aspects of motherhood; to her mind, focusing too heavily on motherhood ran the risk of diminishing one’s appearance and intellectual sharpness; thus Queen Victoria advised her daughters against becoming too involved with motherhood as it may lead to their appearance and intellectual abilities deteriorating too quickly.
The Toll of Childbirth: A Corset and Contraception Myths
Queen Victoria found childbearing to be both emotionally and physically draining; for one thing she was required to wear a corset during each of her pregnancies – something which made the already difficult process even more uncomfortable. Furthermore, archaic fashion trends added another layer of discomfort during childbearing that only compounded its difficulty.
At first, Victoria and Prince Albert had only an elementary knowledge of contraception. They relied on avoiding sexual activity during the days leading up to menstruation or during it itself as a method for birth control, leading them to believe sex could help protect against pregnancy. Due to this misunderstanding about reproductive health, a high number of children were born during Queen Victoria’s marriage – nine altogether! Her pregnancies took a heavy toll on both body and mind alike.
Queen Victoria gave birth to four babies within her first five years of marriage; over subsequent years, she gave birth to another five. Over time, pregnancy or postpartum recovery took up most of her time physically; historical records show she spent all but 16 days pregnant or recovering post-childbirth recovery during those first sixty months. With such a rapid and difficult childbearing cycle going on during her marriage, it’s not surprising she sometimes expressed frustration with it all.
The Isolation of Motherhood in the Victorian Era
Queen Victoria faced not only the physical toll of childbirth but also social and cultural expectations surrounding pregnancy and motherhood during her reign as Queen. Pregnant women at that time were expected to remain mostly out of public view while they conceived; pregnant women typically avoided social activities and limited their exposure. For someone like Victoria who enjoyed attending public events with lively social gatherings such as public concerts and parties,s this was especially challenging during her motherhood journey.
Victoria was required to stay in a “bath chair” after each pregnancy for several weeks postpartum, being wheeled around like an invalid. This practice formed part of religious and societal belief about post-birth recovery; Queen Victoria would remain out of public life and sit quietly in her “bath chair” until her recovery had been approved by the Church and considered “purified”. During this time of isolation and recovery, she further distanced herself from motherhood itself, leading her to regard childbirth as undignified and dismiss it entirely.
A Revolutionary Request for Pain Relief: The “Blessed Chloroform”
Queen Victoria became increasingly desperate for relief from labour as her childbearing years progressed, giving birth to seven of her children and becoming dissatisfied with the experience. It was during her eighth pregnancy when she made a revolutionary request: chloroform was to become her pain reliever of choice!
At that time, chloroform was still considered an experimental form of anesthesia and not widely accepted; however, Queen Victoria requested its use during childbirth and became one of the first women to use it during labour. She received approval for it from Archbishop Canterbury since labour pains were often seen as punishment from God for Eve tempting Adam.
Queen Victoria found respite from pain with chloroform, and later described it as “soothing, quieting, and delightful beyond measure”. She later referred to it as the “blessed chloroform”. This momentous event marks one of the few occasions where Queen Victoria found something she truly appreciated about childbirth.
Conclusion
An Engaging Mother Queen Victoria was deeply committed to her children despite her critical and sometimes harsh views of motherhood’s physical aspects. Her love was clear even if her approach to motherhood was unconventional – pregnancy and childbirth being perceived by Queen Victoria as difficult, painful, and uncomfortable experiences; nonetheless, she remained committed to her family despite these difficulties. Queen Victoria left behind an impactful legacy as a loving but at times distant parent who struggled with both the physical and emotional burdens associated with motherhood but managed to fulfil her duties both as mother and queen
Her story serves as a powerful reminder that each mother’s experience of motherhood varies considerably, depending on personal factors, social expectations, and challenges they encounter in life. Queen Victoria may not have fully embraced all aspects of motherhood but certainly left an indelible mark as one of history’s most iconic and influential queens.
