When my boy was coming, for three months I could not dress myself
properly; I could not get a pair of gloves or boots on, as I was so
swollen--I suppose with water. I did not get any advice, as I thought
I must just put up with it. After he was born, I could not pass my
water for a week--it had to be taken from me. Then I had inflammation
of the bladder, and finally inflammation of the kidneys, besides other
complications. My doctor, who was an old man, had to leave me in charge
of his son for a few days, and once, while talking about my illness, he
said it was a blessing I had had the inflammation of the kidneys, as
it had disclosed the fact that there was albumen in the water of some
standing. I told him how I had been held during pregnancy, and he said
I ought to have been to his father at that time, and he would have been
able to do me some good, but, like the majority of women, I thought it
was one of the ills I _had_ to bear.
The next case is of a young married woman with her first baby. She took
ill at the eight months, and had a very bad time, falling out of one
fit into another, and at last, after her baby was born, she lay two
days quite unconscious--in fact, they never expected she would recover.
She had two doctors, and they gave her every attention, and then when
she was getting better her own particular doctor told her that if she
had only consulted him beforehand he could have saved her a lot of
pain, which she had to put up with. He said it was some kidney trouble
which had been the reason of all she had suffered. In both her case and
mine we could have had advice, as far as the expense was concerned, but
it was sheer _ignorance, and the idea that we must put up with it till
the nine months were over_.
_Wages £2; two children._