Relaciones sexuales durante el embarazo y el puerperio en la España de la Temprana Edad Moderna Sexual

Abstract

Queen Margaret of Austria (1584-1611) was married to King Felipe III for twelve years, of which she spent precisely half of the time pregnant. This case illustrates the relevance of a question which couples were repeatedly confronted with in Early Modern Spain: is lovemaking advantageous or harmful to the child's prenatal development? They might have been at a loss, given the hodgepodge of contradictory opinions from philosophical, moral, and medical authorities, in addition to common beliefs and lived experiences. The powerful Catholic Church declared sex as a marital duty, yet at the same time, she preached the virtue of chastity and that intercourse was only tolerable for social reproduction. Physicians were often indecisive, as any assessment would depend on the stage of pregnancy (not always easy to determine) and other factors. After delivery, puerperium constituted another transitory state which invited certain fears, but also a redefinition of the new mother's status and authority.This brief study is based on manifold historical sources such as manuals, chronicles, and treatises, but also sayings and court cases. It aims to demonstrate the importance of a topic which is sensitive but highly relevant to the Spanish history of mentalities and has been overlooked for too long.Resumen: El matrimonio de la reina Margarita de Austria (1548-1611) y Felipe III duró doce años, de los cuales ella pasó la mitad embaraza. Este caso ilustra la relevancia de una pregunta con la que las parejas se veían repetidamente confrontadas: ¿es favorable o perjudicial para el desarrollo prenatal del niño dormir juntos? No sería sorprendente que 1 This publication is part of the Research Project The Interpretation of Childbirth in Early Modern Spain, funded by the FWF Austrian Science Fund, project number P 32263-G30. I would like to thank everyone involved in the project.