Yes. Years ago, the difficulties of pregnancy and early childhood disease is what kept the population in check.

But that doesn’t mean that’s all any woman’s life ever was or that women wanted to be super breeders and have such large families.

You wanted enough children to cover the need for hereditary title and work the land but not so many you’d all starve.

Women have always sought means of contraception throughout the ages. Roman documents detail a plant that prevented pregnancy that women would be seen gathering every morning.. They’d pluck hillsides barren to the plant; they drove that plant to extinction in their desperation to not be pregnant. We have no idea what that plant was, but those same documents spoke of women’s desperation once that plant could no longer be found.

There have always been abortifactant and contraceoptive teas across the world.

Sea sponges were used by prostitutes to prevent or reduce the chances of pregnancy.

Once the rhythm method was worked out, you could attempt to avoid sex during that time to reduce the risk of pregnancy. Thus the "not tonight, dear, I have a headache" ruse was born.

One of the reasons some women were targeted as witches were midwives, who also helped women end unwanted pregnancies or prevent them.

Speaking of ruses, probably wasn’t that uncommon to slip the gents some things like belladonna at dinner so they’d fall asleep if they seemed a bit randy. Or encourage them to drink and make merry till they passed out.

Condoms have been around since at least Roman times as well.

So yes. Women prayed for pregnancy. A healthy heir cemented a woman’s place and position in society. But they also tried to avoid pregnancy after pregnancy after pregnancy for the most part because as you pointed out, any one could kill you at any time.

Nobody in their right mind wants to spend 20+ years pregnant, whatever age you live in, especially once you have children to take care of. Who will care for them if you die?