You might not believe it, but someone has had 69 children.
There is a Russian couple, the husband named Vasilyev and the wife named Valentina. Since Valentina married Vasilyev when she was 15 years old , the couple embarked on a massive 40-year journey of trying to conceive.
It is reported that Valentina gave birth to a total of 69 children , but only 67 survived: 10 singletons, 10 sets of twins, 7 sets of triplets, and 4 sets of quadruplets . As the children grew up, the living conditions, daily expenses, and education costs became a huge burden for the couple.
Finally, the question arises: Valentina gave birth to 69 children in 40 years. How many children can a healthy woman actually have in her lifetime?
1. If a woman does not use contraception, how many children can she have in her lifetime?
Russian women have such strong fertility, but are all women the same? Actually, in most cases, many women are not as capable as Valentina.
From a physiological perspective, a healthy, normally developing girl will begin menstruating around the age of 13 or 14, at which time her body will naturally ovulate. Ovulation ceases around the age of 50, when she enters menopause. In other words, a woman's reproductive period is between the ages of 13 and 50 .
China's Marriage Law stipulates that the legal marriage age for women is 20. Strictly speaking, a healthy woman living a stable life has only 30 years of legal childbearing time, from 20 to 50. Furthermore, the duration of pregnancy must be considered, and for health reasons, each pregnancy requires at least two years of breastfeeding and rest.
Taking all factors into account, under ideal circumstances without illness, a woman can have approximately 12-15 children in her lifetime. However, in reality, after marriage, men and women also need to consider many factors such as housing, work, illness, supporting elderly parents, savings, and entertainment. Generally, within their means, they will only have 2-3 children .
World Bank data shows that China's total fertility rate (the average number of children born to women of childbearing age) peaked at 5.7 in 1960, but dropped to 1.6 in 2016 (compared to a global average of 2.45 and 1.67 for developed countries in the same year) . Over the past 50 years, China's fertility rate has declined rapidly and has shown a clear and sustained downward trend.
In recent years, a large number of men and women of marriageable and childbearing age have expressed a lack of expectations and an overwhelming sense of burden regarding marriage and childbirth. Some people have even developed strong resistance to it. This phenomenon also sparked heated discussions online in 2022.
II. Are there any harms to women from frequent childbirth? May it increase the risk of cancer?
Childbirth is a normal physiological function that all women possess during their development, and it should theoretically be safe. However, some studies have found that frequent childbirth may also increase the risk of cancer in women.
A study from the Limburger University Comprehensive Cancer Center in North Carolina, which lasted 11 years, tracked 889,944 American women with an average age of 42 and no history of breast cancer. The final data analysis showed that the older the age at first childbirth and the more children a woman had, the greater her risk of breast cancer.
In addition, having too many children may also increase the risk of cervical cancer.
Medical research has found that the main cause of cervical cancer is persistent high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection , but multiple deliveries also increase the risk, as vaginal delivery can bring various complications to women. Tearing and damage make it more susceptible to external pathogens. Studies show that Women with a history of two or more vaginal deliveries have a higher risk of cervical cancer. The risk is 1.9 times higher for women with ≤2 vaginal deliveries.
The World Health Organization publicly recommends that women should wait at least 18 months between pregnancies (from the birth of the first child to the second pregnancy). Frequent pregnancies in a short period may increase the risk of female diseases and also increase the risk of low birth weight, premature birth, and other diseases in newborns.
Having children too frequently can also cause these problems:
1. Accelerates aging
Multiple pregnancies increase the burden on a woman's body, leading to an increase in age-related biomarkers. Furthermore, the physical exertion and stress of childbirth, breastfeeding, and raising children increase oxidative and emotional stress, all of which accelerate aging.
2. Increases the risk of heart disease
Studies have found that during pregnancy, a woman's blood flow increases by 30-50%, which may alter the heart muscle and blood vessels. Repeated pregnancies and the resulting changes can potentially lead to myocardial infarction. Furthermore, women who have three or more children significantly reduce their exercise time and increase their physical strain. Excessive pressure on the heart during exercise can also contribute to arteriosclerosis.
In other words, frequent pregnancies increase the risk of ankylosing spondylitis in women (more than twice that of men) .
3. Increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease
Scientific research has found that estrogen can enhance learning and memory abilities in women who have never given birth, but it may impair learning and memory abilities in middle-aged women who have given birth, and alter hippocampal neural plasticity , causing permanent changes. Furthermore, the more children a woman has, the greater the damage.
III. Further Reading: How did people prevent pregnancy before condoms were invented?
Since frequent pregnancies pose potential risks to a woman's health, what can be done if you don't want to get pregnant? Here are four methods to safely avoid pregnancy!
Without modern contraceptives, how did people in ancient times prevent pregnancy? Ancient Egyptians used pomegranate seeds, papyrus (made from acacia grass and cotton fibers), marine animal bones, resinous substances (with honey and alkali), vaginal suppositories (wood glue and elephant and crocodile excrement), and other methods of contraception. However, these methods were not only unscientific but also very dangerous, and could easily lead to infection or harm.
These incorrect contraceptive methods serve as a reminder that contraception must be based on science and health, and that one should not blindly use folk remedies.
In fact, there are many reliable methods of contraception available today:
1. Condoms
If couples use condoms throughout intercourse, the contraceptive rate is as high as 99% .
2. Contraceptive pills
Contraceptive pills are generally classified into short-acting, emergency, and long-acting types, with short- acting and emergency pills being the most commonly used. Emergency contraceptive pills are taken within 72 hours after intercourse. Short-acting contraceptive pills are typically taken continuously during a woman's menstrual cycle . However, it's important to note that short-acting contraceptive pills are more effective, have a higher success rate, and fewer side effects, while emergency contraceptive pills are relatively less effective and have more significant side effects.
Women who need medication are advised to go to a regular hospital and follow the doctor's instructions, especially high-risk groups such as those with liver and kidney diseases, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, breast cancer and reproductive system tumors, breastfeeding women, and women who are suspected of being pregnant .
3. Intrauterine device (IUD)
An intrauterine device (IUD), also known as a contraceptive ring , is inserted into a woman's uterus to prevent pregnancy. These devices come in T-shaped and Y-shaped versions. This type of contraception is not lifelong; it should be removed 6-12 months after menopause .
4. Ligation
Vasectomy, or tubal ligation, refers to the surgical cutting of the vas deferens in men or the fallopian tubes in women. This type of surgery is generally more convenient for men, with lower risks, fewer side effects, and easier reversal.
Some say that the essence of life is reproduction, but the most dangerous thing for women is frequent childbirth. As long as the intervals between births and the rest period are well managed, moderate childbirth can still have a positive effect on health and well-being.
References:
[1] World Contraception Day | Protect Fertility, Know Contraception Methods Early. Health Liuzhou. 2022-09-26
[2] Stay away from unreliable methods! Scientific contraception, preparedness prevents risks in love. Health Hubei. 2022-03-10
[3] Wei, Linzhi. Meta-analysis of the relationship between the incidence of cervical cancer and three types of risk factors [J]. Guangxi Medical University, 2014.
