My first baby was born fifteen months after marriage. During the first
four or five months I suffered very much from sickness, not morning
sickness only, but many times during the whole day, and nearly all the
way through severe toothache.... As a result of inattention by the
doctor attending me I was badly torn during the birth, and after three
days my husband dismissed him and called in another doctor, who said
though this could not always be avoided it might have been in my case.
I ought to have been stitched at the time, instead of which it was done
four days after.
It was four years and six months later when my second baby came. I was
much better during pregnancy--occasional morning sickness. There was
the fear all through of the tear reopening, but with having a good
period between the births the parts were strong enough to resist, and
all went well. Six years afterwards, I had a miscarriage about three
months. Don’t know how to account for it, excepting that there is so
little rest in the married working woman’s life. From early morning
until late at night she is on her feet. I was more fortunately placed
than most women; I was able to go to bed and be attended to, and to
stay there until I was better.
Four years after my third baby was born (still-born). This was the
worst time I had, the sickness being most distressing, so bad that
could not describe it, and one was always afraid of a miscarriage owing
to everything being forced down through straining. At these times it
was impossible to hold one’s water. At seven months, as a result of
this bearing-down, I had a flooding bout, and was in bed several days.
I had no labour pains, though weak and poorly, and so did not send for
the doctor. I know now that I ought to have done so at once, as my life
was in danger. However, I got up again and did my ordinary duties until
the day of the birth, which was harder than usual, as a live baby helps
in its own way. The baby had gradually died after the flooding, and had
been dead more than a week at birth. I was in a very low condition for
the first three days, the doctor being uncertain how things would go.
There is always the danger of blood-poisoning, and it takes one much
longer to get their health back in cases of this kind. Where there is
a large family or a thoughtless husband the woman pays with her life.
_Wages 25s. to £2; two children, one still-birth, one miscarriage._