Was Infertility As Much Of An Issue Back In The '40's and '50's As It Is Now?

Was there anything they could do to help with fertility issues back then?

No it was not an issue like it is today. Back then people who could not have children usually adopted . In those days, a young girl out of wedlock, usually gave her baby up for adoption, and orphanages were crowded. Today, most elect to keep their children, or take the pill so a pregnancy does not happen. This makes fewer adoptions available, and the great need for improvements to be made in the fertility department. For some, this has been a blessing . . .

No, it wasn't as much of an issue. For two reasons. Less was known about the causes of infertility, so people accepted it more readily, and were more likely to adopt if they wanted children. Adoption was easier than it is today, less regulated. Second reason, is that most people had their children at a much earlier age, girls were mostly married around 18 -20 years old, some even younger, and this is the best time for conception from a biological perspective. Nowadays, women tend to leave it later and later to have first babies, so more of them need to have IVF treatment.

There were many old wives tales and folk 'remedies' for infertility, such as men not wearing tight underwear, having sex on the kitchen table, using certain herbal teas etc. I don't think there was any substance to any of them really. Quite often, when people had tried for a long time, and come to the conclusion that they simply weren't ever going to have children, they would suddenly and unexpectedly fall pregnant. It seems to have had something to do with becoming mentally resigned to not having kids, simply not worrying about it any more, and becoming more relaxed.

I remember as a kid in the early 1950's that I had all the childhood diseases like pneumonia, chicken pocks, flu, croop, mumps, plus alergies, etc. and by that time there were medicines to help us thru the sick downtimes. But earlier in time like around 1910 mothers would have stillborn children, children that die at birth (or the mothers would die when they gave birth), or children would last a few days before dieing and they died from simple things. So you see there was nothing but sickness to contend with and if a woman lost her child she might try one or more times to conceive and then either she's have another child or she wouldn't and she'd stay without. No, there was no help with fertility issues back then. It was also a time when it was a no-no to talk about those kinds of things even with your male doctor.

it was an issue but it wasn't really discussed most of the time. many times it was kind of a secret because so many folks thought of it as a very horrible thing not to be able to conceive so it was spoken of in whispers.obviously there weren't the medical interventions there are now so couples either adopted or just dealt with it.

Back in those days they hadnt even invented birth control pills so fertility was certainly not thought to be important. I'm sure that there were probably as many people who couldnt have children but there wasnt the medical knowledge to find out why. You just accepted the number of children that you ended up with.

I don't believe there was anything science provided back then to
help a couple get pregnant. In my extended family, only one couple
was unable to have children. The others were fine. But in this particular
case, not having children was probably a blessing for any that planned
to come along to them. They were both high school teachers, and
one was a principal, and they expected perfection from any child
near them. In their home, you were not allowed to chew gum for fear
it dropped on their carpets which were long shag and white back in
their popularity. Instead, they kept cats as their children, and they
couldn't talk back. But they were all spoiled rotten anyway. So they
had nothing to complain about.
On our block no family was childless. So I don't know what the
ratio was back when I was growing up for childless couples. I'd
have to say, they were mainly unheard of for the scarcity of
couples without children.

No. It just wasn't talked about. My parents had about 5 couples that they hung out with, played cards, went dancing with and none of them had kids. My sister and I were the only kids. All of the couples were like our aunts and uncles. We got gifts right and left. None of these couples ever adopted either. The fact that they never had children was never talked about. I asked my Mom when I got older why these couples never had children and she said she did not know that she never asked them and that she never thought it was any of her business.

I never remember hearing about it. It seems everyone I knew who wanted children, had them. I think it is more prevalent today because of STDs, pollution, nutrition, etc. I know two couples who spent thousands and thousands of dollars on testing, and fertility treatments.

Infertility has been common throughout history, although it wasn't forefront in the news. Some studies suggest that infertility may be more somewhat common today due to contemporary influences including substance abuse, environmental factors, and stress, but this is difficult to prove.

there were more infertile couples who adopted back then and the Government didn't make such a fuss about checking you out either. this day and age there are so many pedophiles and other sex criminals it's pathetic. if the bleeding heart judges would start executing them it might help.

I do recall some couples adopting children when I was growing up in the fifties & sixties but I didn't give it much thought. As for helping with fertility issues, I never heard of anyone receiving treatment for infertility back then. Many who couldn't have their own children, adopted.

It seems the people who didn't have children were favorite Aunts and Uncles. In my family we have adopted cousins and in the neighborhood I grew up in, several childless families were super favorites.

The only thing I remember being talked about was one aunt who was barren they said. I knew what that meant and felt sorry for that couple who wanted children. I remember my aunt Rose cry when someone asked her why she had no children. A nasty trick from old Mother Nature I guess.

I don't remember ever hearing anything about it then. Many subjects that we speak freely about now, weren't discussed then.

It probably was an issue, but it wasn't something you talked about and there wasn't much they could do from a medical point

It was an issue that was not open for public discussion. People were much more reserved with their opinions.

It existed, but certainly not discussed in the public press.

I don't think it would be, as people who could not have children just accepted it.