Without modern medical technology, people in the Middle Ages developed various methods to confirm suspected pregnancies. These early techniques were a complex mixture of detailed observation, folklore, and the prevailing medical theories of the era. They relied on interpreting signs from the body and its outputs. This system of knowledge, while not based on modern principles, represented a serious attempt to answer the timeless question of pregnancy.
Uroscopy and the “Piss Prophets”
A central practice in medieval diagnostics was uroscopy, the detailed examination of urine. Practitioners, sometimes called “piss prophets,” claimed they could diagnose conditions like pregnancy by inspecting a urine sample. These specialists would hold a flask of urine to the light, observing its characteristics. According to medical texts, the urine of a pregnant woman was expected to be a “clear pale lemon color leaning toward off-white, having a cloud on its surface.”
Further analysis involved more than simple observation. One test was to mix the woman’s urine with wine; since alcohol can react with proteins in urine, this may have had some coincidental success. Another method involved placing a needle into the urine sample. If the metal turned rusty red or black, it was interpreted as a positive sign of pregnancy.
These practices were rooted in the humoral theory, the dominant medical framework of the time. This theory proposed that the body contained four essential fluids, or humors, and that health depended on their balance. Pregnancy was believed to alter this balance, causing noticeable changes in a woman’s urine. While the underlying theory was incorrect, it provided the rationale for focusing on urine as a diagnostic fluid.
Physical Signs and Folk Methods
Beyond the study of urine, medieval people relied on observable physical changes to detect pregnancy. Many of the signs they noted are still recognized today as early indicators. Symptoms such as morning sickness, the absence of menstruation, and a darkening of the skin on the nipples and face were considered strong evidence of conception.
In addition to these signs, several folkloric tests were also popular. One method was the “latch test,” which involved placing a metal latch into a basin of a woman’s urine and interpreting any changes. Another was the “onion test,” where a woman would place an onion in her vagina overnight. If her breath smelled of onion the next morning, she was not pregnant, based on the belief a fetus would block the odor.
Medieval Beliefs on Fetal Sex
Once a pregnancy was confirmed, attention often turned to predicting the sex of the unborn child using a different set of interpretations. The appearance of the expectant mother was a primary source of clues. A healthy, rosy complexion was thought to indicate a girl, while a pale or sallow look suggested a boy.
The way a woman carried the pregnancy was also considered significant. Carrying the baby high in the womb was thought to mean it was a girl, while carrying low pointed to a boy. Another belief involved examining a drop of the woman’s breast milk. If the drop sank when placed in water, she was carrying a boy; if it floated, it was a girl.