Daily AncestorFlooding
Flooding was the plain old word for heavy bleeding from the womb, especially dangerous bleeding just after childbirth.
Heavy bleeding after delivery, now called postpartum hemorrhage, is still a leading cause of death for mothers worldwide. Older home medical guides warned of flooding and told families what to do while waiting for the doctor.
On a death record flooding nearly always means a death connected with childbirth. Look for a birth or infant burial at the same time.
As seen in a recordCause of death column, 1850 to 1880 federal mortality schedule
Eliza Wood, 28, F, W, Aug., Flooding
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Daily Ancestor. "Flooding." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/causes-of-death/flooding. Last checked 2026-10-01.