An intriguing possibility! Not that childbirth is that passive an activity, but it's easy to imagine it being said.

Alas, I just went back and checked the discussion, and the person who mentions it - Cally Soukup, in conversation with Friedman - can't remember where she saw the reference (which seems to be the story of this phrase).

And Queen Victoria had said something else about something else. ;-)

That I find easy to believe.