This involved a woman taking on the role of a nun and it appears that this involved a smaller number of women due to the smaller number of monasteries founded between 1200 and 1400 The nun's role involved living a life of contemplation, prayer and work and was based on the suffering that Jesus had inflicted on the Cross. The medieval Church influenced many roles in the medieval West between 1200 and 1400, and women conformed to these ideals, as wives, mothers, and nuns. These three roles were highly considered acceptable for a woman. These roles were influential at the time and influenced the ideals held by Western society today. Some women challenged these stereotypical ideals, but the majority of women followed the Church's advice and continued to conform to these ideals..