My two last babies came to me in troublous times, the boy, four years
since, when my husband (through being too prosperous and false friends)
gave way to drink, although he never tried to strike me, or any of the
outward cruelty that I know many wives have to contend with; but it was
so different to what I had been used to, and three months before the
baby came, I was practically an invalid. Up till dinner I could manage
to get about, but after dinner I had to lie or sit as best I could. I
could not get on nine in men’s shoes, my feet swelled up so, and every
night my hands were in agonies; the only relief I got was when I used
to hammer them on the wall, to try and take the awful dumb pain out of
them. Then when I started in labour, I was in it from eleven o’clock on
the night of Thursday, the 17th of February till Saturday, the 19th, at
10 a.m. The waters broke at eleven o’clock on Thursday night, and baby
came at ten o’clock on Saturday. The doctor had to put it back, as it
was not coming naturally. Of course, I had chloroform; indeed, I had
it with all my seven children, except two, as I have always such long
and terrible labours, although I am a big woman--5 feet 8 inches, and
I weigh over 13-1/2 stone. I flooded with two. By the way, I am never
able to get up under three weeks after confinement, as I always start
to flood directly I make any movement, and I have to keep my nurse
from five to seven weeks after. I always have terribly sore breasts,
although the doctor treats them three months beforehand, but it makes
no difference. My last confinement was worst, as I found, five months
before baby was born, that my husband was having an immoral going-on.
The shock was so great, I could not speak when first I heard it. A
cold shiver went over me, and my body seemed to go together in a hard
lump. I was never right after, till she came. Indeed, I was never right
till my operation last October. I always had a weary bearing-down pain
in my body all the time I was carrying babies, and suffer a great
deal in my back. I never had morning sickness with any of them, and
not one varicose vein, I am so thankful to say. And yet I know many
women who can go right up to a few hours before, and then tell me they
think nothing about it, while to me it is like a time of horror from
beginning to end. I suppose we are differently made, somehow.
My husband earned 6d. an hour, and some of the summer months he worked
overtime at the same rate of wages. What he earned overtime we always
put in the Post Office, and what else we could spare towards the long
winter months, as many times we started short time in August, which did
not bring in very much. Then we were very lucky if we were getting 10s.
a week at Christmas-time, but it used to be oftener _nothing_ for weeks
before Christmas. But we never went into debt. What we could not pay
for we did without, and I can assure you I have told my husband many
times that I had had my dinner before he came in, so as there should be
plenty to go round for the children and himself, but he found me out
somehow, and so that was stopped, although I had been many times only
half filled, and I am glad to say during the worst of the pinch time I
was not pregnant.
_Seven children and three miscarriages._