In ancient Mesopotamia the Šassūrātu (Sassuratu) filled important roles as divine midwives, childbirth goddesses and protectors of mothers and infants. Their equivalent in North Syria are the Kotharat. Hurrian fate goddesses Hutena & Hutellura take a similar role.
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Childbirth in ancient times was a hazardous event. Infant deaths, childhood deaths, youth of mothers (13 - 15 yrs), little understanding of medicine and rampant infection causes the average population age to plummet to 25 years.
People do live long lives in the ancient world. Queen Puduhepa of the Hittites lives to age 90 and there are records of people living longer, even in regions of poverty. Early death of course is more widespread in crowded urban centers and poverty due to disease, fire, malnourishment and violence.
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Women feel the same type of pains, experience elation, relief or even dismay contingent to the circumstances. The birth process is unique to each but the same to all, the dangers equal whether a woman is a queen or peasant.
Knowledge of hygiene is limited. Antiseptic isn't used until the late 19th century CE, dramatically changing recovery rates in hospitals. The experience women share is intrinsic to life since the beginning of time.
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In ancient times a woman might wear a talisman or hold an artifact representing a goddess of birth or protection. Protective birth deities include Taweret the Egyptian hippopotamus goddess or the Hittite fertility deity Ashera.
In some areas, even a demon might be invoked. One of the threats to pregnancy, childbirth and infants is the baby-eating monster demon Goddess Lamashtu. Her dire enemy is the demon Pazuzu. Below, he displays a protective plaque against Lamashtu, who is pictured bottom middle.
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Pazuzu is often called upon as a protective entity for a woman in childbirth. His motivation is not that he likes children, but that he hates Lamashtu. Because his magic is so strong, his popularity as a protection symbol grows.
Šassūrātu comes from the Sumerian word šassūru, which translates to 'womb' or 'midwives', used in the plural. The Sassuratu are a heptad or group of seven goddesses. They are the tutelary deities of pregnant women and childbirth.
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As such, they're seen as assistants of the goddess Ninmah (Ninhursag, Ninḫursaĝa, also Damgalnuna), the ancient Sumerian Mother Goddess of the Mountains. The seven deities help the Mother Goddess create humans from clay.
They all assist during childbirth, except the male aspect of Ninmada. Patrons of childbearing women, they may have other duties too. Their names are:
Ninimma - divine scribe, scholar & librarian
Shuzianna - 'the just hand of heaven'
Ninmada - two deities, brother 'worshiper of An'; sister 'divine snake charmer'
Ninšar - associated with the preparation of meat
Ninmug - patron of artisans, divine statues & metal workers, aka 'tibira calamma'
Mumudu - dreams & dream interpretation
Ninniginna - shadow goddess
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The heptads of birth Goddesses Šassūrātu and Kotharat may have influenced the Hurrian divine duo of deities Hutena and Hutellura. Usually plural, the Šassūrātu can also be depicted as a single goddess.
She's perceived as an alternate of the goddess Nintur, whose name means 'mistress birth hut'. In turn Nintur is an aspect of the Mother Goddess of the Mountains, Nihmah or Ninhursag.
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Midwifery is an occupation of skill and esteem. In ancient times it requires knowledge of herbs, rituals, magic, stages of birth, psychology, leadership, decisive action and a gentle touch. Around 300 BCE midwives come to be demonized, as male-only physicians hurl the science of medicine back to prehistory.
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