The birth of a child was the happiest event in the life of a Vlkolínec family.
Life in the village was hard and full of toil. Women cared for the household and children, cooked, washed, tended the fields and garden, carried water, and performed countless other chores. Work continued even through pregnancy, right up until the first labour pains. Families showed great solidarity, with sisters, sisters-in-law, mothers, and mothers-in-law all lending their support to the expectant mother.
Vlkolínec had a midwife who advised pregnant women and calculated their due dates. Unlike today, women did not go to hospital, but gave birth at home, in their own beds. Alongside the midwife, other women from the family were usually present during the birth. If complications arose and the woman was badly hurt, she was taken by cart to a doctor in town.
During and after the birth, the husband and grandmothers took over household and childcare duties. Sometimes sisters-in-law or the woman’s own sisters also helped.
