AILMENTS OF PREGNANCY.
Pregnancy not an Unnatural but a Normal State.—Tendency to
Neglect Hygienic Rules.—Morning Sickness.—How to Correct
it.—Important Questions of Diet.—Displaced Uterus as Cause
of Nausea.—Mental States.—Companionship.—Various Gastric
Troubles.—Insomnia.—Hysteria.—Constipation and How to Correct
it.—Longings.—Self-control.—With Proper Care, as a Rule All
Goes Well.
There are several distressing ailments which afflict the pregnant woman,
and which are too often by the uninformed considered a necessity, hence
nothing is done for them. Leavitt has said wisely, “The general health
is already frequently disturbed, and the system in an enfeebled state,
when pregnancy is established. The woman at once enters on the trying
experiences of early gestation—attributing nearly all her symptoms to the
physiological changes being wrought in her organism. Viewing them also
as, in great measure essential features of her condition, she is prone
to neglect proper attention to hygienic rules.”
Another mistake is too frequently made by the women, and indulged by
the physician, namely, considering the pregnant state a pathological,
diseased, or unnatural condition, in every instance, while it should be
in the majority of cases purely a physiological, natural and healthy
condition. True, woman is not exempt during pregnancy from the various
ills that assail her sex, and the human family as a whole; but that every
ailment with which she is assailed should be attributed to her condition
is a mistake, and a greater mistake is to neglect proper treatment for
these ills.
The morning sickness is one of the most common and troublesome ailments
of the parturient, and one which is most often neglected. But it is
likewise one which can be controlled in the majority of instances. Do not
neglect it, but see to it at once. Plenty of exercise in the open air,
well-aired sleeping rooms, pleasant surroundings and suitable food go far
to mitigate this ill, but the doctor will need to be consulted at times.
The diet of women suffering from morning sickness, should be regulated,
and nothing deleterious to her allowed. Often the aggravated ailment can
be traced to vagaries of appetite, which have been foolishly indulged,
which corrected, and a reasonable diet substituted, will do much to aid
the cure. Often a few mouthfuls of food or a cup of coffee taken in the
morning before rising will prove of decided benefit, and should be tried
before medicines are resorted to.
The false notion that the pregnant woman “must eat for two,” and so
proceed to indulge her appetite to the utmost, should be corrected. The
appetite should be kept under in pregnancy as carefully as at any other
time, and rather than otherwise, more care be taken in the selection of
food, and regularity of meals.
Leavitt recommends as articles specially suited to the earlier months of
pregnancy, the following:—“Mutton-broth, chicken-broth, oysters, clams
and fish. When they have heretofore agreed, the following may also be
eaten: beef, mutton, chicken, game, eggs, stale bread, oat meal, rice,
baked potatoes, spinach, macaroni, greens, celery, green peas, lettuce,
asparagus, oranges, grapes, and stewed fruit. Desserts should in most
instances be avoided.”
These do not of course include all the harmless articles, and a simple
and comprehensive rule is this: any article of food that is hygienic and
does not disagree may be partaken of with impunity.
Sometimes the nausea may be due to other causes than those exciting
simple nausea. If it is persistent and aggravated a displaced uterus may
be the cause. This when corrected will effect a cure like magic.
In the later months of pregnancy the nausea, if any, is due to another
cause than that which excites it in the earlier months. Compression and
a changed character of the secretions, are the exciting causes at this
time, yet even here attention to diet will do much toward correcting the
distress. “At this period all articles of food which will increase the
fermentative action, so easily set up, ought to be avoided. Such are
mainly those containing starch, sugar and fat.”
The mental state of the woman needs careful attention as well as the
physical. Among the early Greeks a pregnant woman was held so much in
reverence that she was guarded almost sacredly, and shielded from all
possible annoyances. No troublesome or unsightly thing was allowed
in her presence, and she was surrounded with pleasing and delightful
companions, pictures and occupations. This might with profit be emulated
by the people of to-day. An unpleasant companion in the home, a dull,
monotonous, treadmill existence will often drive a pregnant woman to the
verge of distraction; while on the other hand the thought that she is the
subject of tender solicitude and care, that she is petted and indulged in
her harmless desires, will make the period of pregnancy a long holiday.
Above all, keep all croaking companions away. You will find in every
neighborhood, women who delight to give in detail all the terrible cases
they have ever heard or imagined, and these are the women that you should
shun, and in plain words, forbid the introduction of such topics if
necessary.
Sometimes another distressing gastric disturbance, which may give much
annoyance, is a want of appetite, or disgust for food. A change of scene
or surroundings for a time, with an entire change of table, will often be
all that is necessary to correct this. A visit to the mother or a dear
friend, will relieve the monotony, and often give the change desired.
This very often is the result of mental disturbance rather than physical,
and so yields when the proper remedy, change, is prescribed and taken.
Acidity of the stomach and heartburn can be relieved with the appropriate
remedy. “Temporary relief will often be afforded by a swallow of pure
glycerine, or a half teaspoonful dose of aromatic spirits of ammonia.”
Neuralgia of the stomach calls for the doctor. Ptyalism, or an excessive
flow of saliva; pruritus, or a distressing itching of the genitals or of
the abdominal wall; face-ache or neuralgia of the fifth nerve, are all
relieved only by the proper prescription from the physician.
Insomnia, which often proves very troublesome, can often be cured by more
outdoor air, and diversion during the day, and a brisk walk in the good
fresh evening air, followed by the sitz bath or bath taken in sitting
posture, with only the parts about the hips submerged in hot water just
before retiring; or a quick sponge bath, rather cool than warm, just
before going to rest for the night will often act well as a sedative.
The urine in quality and quantity should be carefully looked after, and
should be examined by the physician several times during the later months
of pregnancy, that its condition may be known.
Hysteria may appear in some of its various forms, but when the cause,
which is more often than otherwise due to indigestion, excessive
fatigue, loss of sleep, unpleasant surroundings or companions, “operating
on a nervous system, very sensitive, and already a little out of
tune”—when the cause is removed the hysteria will vanish.
Constipation, which in this state as in all others is more often than
otherwise, simply a bad habit, proves at many times a great annoyance.
Care from the very outset should be taken to keep the bowels open. Often
all that is necessary, is proper attention to diet, exercise and good
air. Diminished intestinal action is doubtless an exciting cause, and
this can be met by greater activity on the part of the woman, and a
selection of food that is easily digested and laxative in character. If
constipation is neglected there may result an accumulation of feces or
waste matter in the rectum and large intestine sometimes of great size,
which may prove a great obstruction to labor, or even interrupt pregnancy
prematurely. Fruits, graham bread, figs, stewed prunes, and liberal
quantities of hot water sipped slowly, thirty or forty minutes before
each meal, will often prove all the medicine needed.
The longings of pregnancy are a matter of notion and imagination run
wild more often than otherwise. A strong self-controlled woman is not
troubled with any longings for things beyond her reach. Hence should she
desire a thing that it will be difficult for her to get, let her exercise
reason, and good judgment in the denial, and the longing will not trouble
her.
Finally the woman during pregnancy should cultivate self-control, and
be governed by common sense in every event. Let wisdom guide her in the
habits of exercise, eating, occupation, society and recreation, and as a
rule all will go well, and there will be no cause for worry throughout
the entire term.