In the first place, being short of money is one cause of suffering. I
am the mother of five children, three girls and two boys. I have not
had a doctor to any of my confinements, but nearly lost my life and
child’s through the first one. The midwife was a qualified woman, but
addicted to drink (which I found out afterwards). I was confined on a
Thursday at 2.30 p.m., after many hours of suffering, and she never
came near me again until late on Saturday night. Fancy me! Oh, the
horror of it makes me shiver when I think about it. We were almost
strangers where we were living. I had my mother staying with me, but
the night before baby was born, she chopped the end of her finger
right off, which made her feel very bad. She was in pain herself, and
I was ignorant of the danger I was in, not being properly attended to.
Mother was afraid of blood-poisoning. My husband was working nights at
the time. We, like many more, had not got a very good start. He fell
out of work about two months after we were married, and was out for
a long time. I had to go to my home and he his, for from the first
months of pregnancy I suffered greatly. When he started and worked
again, I had to part with my machine (which I had paid for before I was
married) to pay for rent; it was hard lines. Then he got work back,
so we had to move back again--another expense. So you will see we had
our trouble when baby was born. I had hardly got enough of anything,
let alone doctor’s money. I paid the nurse 7s. 6d. I had only been
confined barely three weeks when my husband was out of work again. The
first Saturday night I went out shopping after baby was born, I had
1s. 7-1/2d. to get meat, grocery, and all else to live on till some
kind friend came along, which was my mother, her home being near. She
brought me a little rent, and a few shillings to carry us on for a week
or two. I was afraid to spend any till my husband got work, which was
after many tramps from place to place. I managed to get some work to
do, but caught a cold and chill, which caused me to have a gathered
breast, which nearly killed me. I did not know my own for days. They
took me over from ---- to ----, and thought I should die on the way
there. My father soon had a doctor to see me. He told them it would be
a struggle to pull me through, but after a time I gained strength to
go back to ----, and as my husband had got work again, he needed me
at home. Then after a year and ten months, my baby girl was born. I
should tell you I was twenty-eight years old when I was married, and
I had been married eleven months when my first baby was born, and I
can truthfully say I was ignorant of anything concerning married life
or motherhood when I was married. In fact, when the midwife came to
me when I was in such pain, I had not the slightest idea where or how
the child would come into the world. And another thing, I was not even
told what to expect when I was leaving girlhood--I mean the monthly
courses. I often wonder I got along as well as I have. I will say here
that I do not intend my daughters to be so innocent of natural courses.
I feel it is unkind of parents to leave girls to find these things out.
It causes unnecessary suffering. I often wonder, when I hear some of
our women grumbling about the trouble and bother of signing and getting
the papers filled in for the 30s., how they would have been in my
place, and how thankful I should have been for it.
When my girlie was eighteen months, I had a baby boy. I did think I had
a handful; they seemed three babies. A friend of mine had the little
girl till I got up again, which was generally ten days. Oh, what rest
is there for a woman when money is so scarce? They say, “Don’t worry.”
Well, what can you do? Well, I got over No. 3 fairly well, as I had a
young woman to look after me for _one_ week. I forgot to tell you, the
day after No. 2 was born, my husband was sent away to work, so I did
not see him again till she was ten days old, and I had to borrow money
to get along with till he did come back. When No. 4 was born, I had
a trying time. Six weeks before she was born, my three children were
down with scarlet fever; two had it very badly, but the one only very
slightly; they came downstairs on the Sunday for the first time. Then
my baby was born the following Tuesday. The children were not allowed
to see me, but the father had to look after them a good deal, as I had
his young sister to look after me. I got up on the tenth day, and then
my husband had the fever. We were both ill in bed together. Then I had
another gathered breast. The doctor lanced it, and it ran for fourteen
weeks after. Then I had a whitlow on my right thumb. During the time
my husband was ill, my young sister, though she was married, came to
help to look after us all. I only had 11s. 3d. a week to keep eight of
us on; can you wonder a woman’s strength gives way? I must also say my
husband was not in a doctor’s club, so we had a bill to pay for him. I
and the children are in a friendly sisters’ club, but the doctor does
not attend confinements; that is a separate item. So you see I have
known a bit of trouble. When No. 5 was born my oldest girl and boy
had to look after me. The other two were sent away, one to ----, the
other to ----. I had 26s. a week to keep and clothe, pay rent, fire and
light, and clubs for seven of us, till my oldest started work.
I think if I had been able to have a doctor at the first I might not
have suffered as I have, and do at present, as I had occasion to
be examined once, and my doctor told me I had been neglected at my
confinement. Oh, I do feel sometimes, if I could only tell some of the
young girls things they ought to know, how much better some might be;
but we have got such a class to deal with. The young girls who have
babies, they only laugh at us if we say anything. I do feel one cannot
be too careful about one’s thoughts and actions during pregnancy;
therefore, if one has not enough to live on, and get necessary life
comforts, it naturally tells on the child and mother’s life, as
child-bearing is such a strain, especially when they come so close to
one another. What can a woman do but worry, when she knows there is so
little to live on. I hope you do not think ill of my husband through me
complaining. He has given me all the money he earned, and I have done
my best--at least, I think so. I have had to fare hard and work hard; I
don’t know what the reward will be. ---- is not like a town. There is
nothing here but the pits for the boys, and the girls have to go away
from home to earn a living.
I think if it had not been for the Women’s Guild I should have been in
the asylum. It has helped me along. I was the first member made after
the Committee was formed. I was secretary for over four years. Home
duties were the cause of my resigning, but I never miss a meeting. I
have only missed four times since I joined. I would not miss my Guild
for anything but illness. I am pleased we are to have Moral Hygiene
Classes. We are having a speaker on the subject a fortnight to-morrow.
I hope I have not taken too much of your valuable time in reading this.
I am suffering to-day through my first being not properly attended
to--at least, I think so; but that was because I had no means of paying
a doctor, as they expect their fee, whether anything else is paid or
not. I thank Lloyd George for maternity benefit, but I do wish the wife
and mother could have been insured. Who works harder than us mothers? I
often say we work twenty out of twenty-four hours very often. Some days
I don’t sit down hardly to snatch a mouthful of food. There seems no
time for women, but the men make time. If we did, we should have to be
a day behind, and we don’t get much Sunday rest. I am forty-eight now,
so I hope I’ll have no more.
_Wages 17s. to 25s.; five children._
[Illustration: BRADFORD MUNICIPAL INFANT HOSPITAL.
(_Reproduced by kind permission of the Bradford Health Committee._)]