A superstition is common among the ignorant that every whim, every
craving of the pregnant woman should be gratified, or the child will be
“marked.” I once heard of a woman who, shortly before her confinement,
insisted on having a pint of whisky, and because it was thought best
to give her only half a pint, the child was never satisfied and drank
himself to death.
It is true that the very great change in the system, the forces now
specially drawn to the womb which before were equally distributed
throughout the body, leaves the stomach often in a very delicate
condition, needing more acid or less, more flesh and less vegetable
diet, or the reverse, as the case may be, and there should certainly
be no pains spared in providing the mother with the food that she can
relish and digest, or in her yielding to her innocent and harmless
fancies. The first months are often wearisome and depressing. She feels
restless and unsettled, and should be treated with patient sympathy
even if she seems a little unreasonable.
But the patient should never resign her own judgment and conscience.
Gross feeding, excess of meats, gravies, pastry, wine, etc., should
be avoided if desired. Over-eating is nearly as bad as over-drinking,
and a sense of repletion after meals should be a warning that the
intemperance must not be repeated. It is very plain that if the
pregnant woman used her _will_ in denying herself that which she knew
to be unwholesome, or in excess of sufficient, the child would be more
likely to inherit self-control. The true mother will have constant
reference to the well-being of the child she is bearing, and she will
have ample reward.