Harriet Tomlyn's cause of death?

[zumaro]

I think this says 'Confinement flooding certified', but if so, what does it mean? 

[JenB]

Confinement flooding means a haemorrhage after childbirth - in this case fatal.

Take a look at these two links...

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01iyy/

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01iyz/

[zumaro]

Thats tragic. I see the references to flooding, but not confinement. Is that more particular to England as terminology? Even Googling "confinement flooding childbirth" I still find no references, so I am very grateful for your answer.

[LizzieW]

Nowadays women are given an injection after the birth of a baby and usually before the placenta is delivered, which helps the uterus to contract and stops most excessive bleeding.  There are occasions where something has gone wrong and the uterus will not contract and bleeding is unstoppable.  In these occasions, the only cure is a hysterectomy.  Of course, for 1000s of years women had babies following which their uteruses contracted normally without an injection, but there would have been some women in whom the bleeding didn't stop.

[LizzieW]

I see the references to flooding, but not confinement.

Some women bleed excessively every month, so that they cannot live their normal daily life at the time of their periods and that is called flooding.  They can be given medication to help to stop this but, again, if medication doesn't help then a surgical procedure or as a last resort hyserectomy is usually the answer.

[JenB]

Thats tragic. I see the references to flooding, but not confinement. Is that more particular to England as terminology? Even Googling "confinement flooding childbirth" I still find no references, so I am very grateful for your answer.

As soon as I saw the cause of death I thought that flooding might mean haemorrhage so I googled 'childbirth + haemorrhage + flooding' which brought up the two links I gave you.

My own daughter had a severe haemhorrage after childbirth a few years ago, caused by a retained placenta. She was in hospital and all was well in the end, but as Lizzie has said, many years ago, particularly when women gave birth at home, the bleeding cold well be fatal.

[zumaro]

Thanks everyone - I have learnt something tonight. It is a sad end for her - I think the Hollingbourne place of death was in a Union Workhouse, so poverty and lack of medical care may have contributed to the death.

[medpat]

The local hospital in those times was usually at the workhouse so it's likely she was in as a hospital patient.

 

[iolaus]

confinement is an oldfashioned term meaning birth - still occasionally used nowadays - you will see things like home confinement or EDC for expected date of confinement - usually replaced with delivery or birth now though