DRESS

Cotton/Velvet

1905

2014.20.01

Regina Parker Davis (1878-1910), the wife of Wibaux sheep rancher Al Davis, wore this maternity dress made of copper-colored sateen, velvet, and lace in 1905. A treasured item lovingly preserved, the simple elegance of the dress belies the hardships-and danger-that attended childbirth in Montana's rural areas during the homestead era. Prenatal care was essentially nonexistent and women generally gave birth at home, relying on neighbors, their husbands, or, if they were lucky, midwives, to oversee their deliveries. Lack of proper care often proved deadly for mother and child alike: from 1911 to 1919, nearly 9,000 women and infants died during childbirth in Montana, which had one of the highest maternal death rates in the nation. In the 1920s and 1930s women gradually began to take advantage of "lying in" rooms and homes if they lived near one. After 1930, when obstetric practices became regulated, Montana women gained the option of giving birth in hospitals.