During the early stages of pregnancy, with first baby, I was very
much subject to a fainting condition, which I was informed was a
perfectly natural condition during such a period, and could not be
avoided. Whether such be the case or not, I cannot say. Otherwise my
health generally was very good, being at that particular time blessed
with an excellent robust constitution. My first baby was one year and
eleven months old when the second one arrived. During the first four
months of pregnancy with second child, except suffering violently from
morning sickness (another thing I am told cannot be dispensed with),
I maintained my usual state of health. After four months had elapsed
a pain developed in my right side (I can compare it only to a gnawing
toothache), which caused me a great deal of annoyance through the day,
and most restless nights. This continued until my baby was born. I
recovered splendidly from my confinement, but owing to circumstances
had to be about performing household duties much earlier than I ought
to have been. My third baby was born two years and eight months after
second one. Whilst carrying this baby, from very early stage, I was
distracted with an almost unbearable itching in the exterior part
of the abdomen. In fact, I thought I should have gone mad with it,
and had I then had the means at my disposal to consult my medical
adviser (but 2s. 6d. was a great consideration to me at that time, for
one visit, out of a small income), I could have been spared a great
amount of agony.... During pregnancy with my third and fourth babies,
I had to contend with the pain in my side, as with the second one. I
attribute this pain to having to carry one child about so much whilst
in a state of pregnancy with another, and not being able to employ
anyone to assist me in the more laborious duties, such as washing,
scrubbing, etc., to give me the necessary rest which my condition
demanded. When my third baby arrived, I regret to say it was disfigured
with a hare-lip, from which cause it could not take its food properly,
which caused it to cry almost incessantly, and after a trying period
of eleven weeks, she, poor little mite, succumbed. Owing to the worry
connected with this misfortune, also having to be up again too soon
after confinement, and for want of rest, I felt my health giving
way, and being in a weak condition, I became an easy prey to sexual
intercourse, and thus once more I became a mother in fourteen months.
My health was very moderate whilst in pregnancy with my fourth and
last baby, now seven years of age, which I attribute solely to having
children too quickly in succession, and in not procuring, as I said
before, the necessary rest and nourishment which is essential to a
mother at these periods.
Since the birth of my last child I have suffered from a falling womb,
which my doctor informs me has been caused by getting out of bed too
soon after confinements, which was due entirely to not having the
wherewithal to provide for adequate attention.
I feel very keen concerning this problem, and do hope something will be
done in the very near future to alleviate the unnecessary suffering of
working mothers.
During the time I was having my children, my husband’s average weekly
earnings were 25s. When working overtime he may have earned 30s. or
even 32s., but on the other hand, when on short time or holidays (which
are equivalent to short time--no work, no pay), I have known him to
receive as low as 15s. or 12s. To give you an instance. Christmas week
of last year his wages amounted to 12s., and New Year week this year,
10s. My husband, along with myself, considered his wages were not
adequate to maintain a family, provide proper attention, etc., during
confinement, and solely for this reason we do not feel justified in
having any more children if it can possibly be avoided. I love children
dearly, another reason why I do not wish to create them to be badly
fed, clothed badly, uneducated, etc., on a mere pittance. I could say
much more, but my sincere desire is that a better time is dawning for
working-class mothers and their babies.
_Wages 15s. to 32s.; four children._