THE BIRTH CHAMBER.
Memory’s Dissimilar Pictures of Birth-Chamber Scenes.—Newborn
Souls Welcomed to Mother’s Arms and Love.—The Rebellious
Mother with Empty Heart and Unwilling Arms.—The Older
Children Reflect the Spirit of the Mother toward the
Newcomer.—Illustrations of Conduct of Intelligent Children
toward Mother at Birth Period.—How to Calculate Date of
Confinement.—Birth Chamber no Terror for Those who Live
Hygienically.—Anæsthetics.—Their Use Explained.—Allaying
Anxiety.—Earliest Premonitions.—Preparation.—The Three Stages
of Labor.—Tying the Cord.—The Rest and Joy that Complete and
Crown Labor.
Some of the darkest, and some of the brightest pictures of life, hung
on the walls of memory, have been painted for me in the birth chamber.
Bright when the little newborn soul is welcomed to a mother’s arms and
love; love that is months long and deep. Dark when there has been a
bitter rebellion that she must be a mother at all, and the little one
comes into an empty heart and unwilling arms.
Another class of pictures comes to me; of the children trained by these
mothers. The one class, children who are angry and rebellious that more
little ones must come into the home, prepared to greet them with a
hateful welcome, and looking upon their parents with a jealous distrust,
thinking they must be in some way responsible for this unhappy state of
affairs. Is it not true that such children are but the echo of their
parents’ hearts? The other class of children, looking with love for the
advent of the new brother or sister, cherishing it more and more every
day, and giving their parents loving confidence.
Two of the bright pictures come to my mind. A little daughter who had
been wisely taught where babies are first cradled, became in her seventh
year a little woman in comfort and care-taking consideration of the
dear mamma. “What can I do to help you, mamma, dear? and if you should
be taken sick all alone here, you would call me and let me help you,
wouldn’t you, mamma?” were questions often heard, and they sank freighted
with comforting love, into the mother’s heart. This same daughter is now
budding into womanhood and prepared to meet all its responsibilities and
temptations, and yet withal, modest and winning in her girlish, wise
womanliness.
Another picture. I was called one night to attend a lady in her fifth
confinement. The husband had come for me and leaving me at the door of
his home had gone for the nurse. On entering, I found the only attendant
of the mother, her twelve year old son. With her hands in his, and his
face full of sympathy and anxiety for her suffering, he was giving her
all the assistance that he could. Quiet and dignified he left the room
as I entered, but not before I had read in his face the lesson that had
sunk into his very soul; that mothers suffered for their children, and
for this should have all the love and tender consideration they could
give them. He was not an attractive boy, nor a tractable one, but the
dear mother had taken the very safest means to hold him to herself, and a
mother-anchored boy or girl will not go far wrong.
So much for some retrospects of the birth chamber, and now to the plain
practical knowledge needed for those who are to experience its realities.
In reckoning the period of gestation the rule most easily followed is
this. Add seven days to the date of the last menstruation, and count
ahead nine months, or backward three months, and you have the probable
time of confinement. Should you pass this time you would probably go on
for two weeks, as the most susceptible times for conception to take place
are in the week following menstruation or a couple of days preceding the
next period; which makes a difference of two weeks in the calculation.
If the bowels have been kept open by proper diet and care, and if the
patient has kept up her daily exercise and baths, she will come to the
birth chamber well prepared and it need have no terrors for her.
To-day when anæsthetics are given as a rule, not an exception, the chief
bugbear of the parturient is lost or charmed away. It does not need that
the anæsthetic be given to a surgical degree, but simply sufficient to
take away the severity of the pain. I have found for the lying-in room
the most satisfactory anæsthetic to be the one, two, three, mixture;
by which I mean a mixture of alcohol, chloroform, and ether, in the
proportion of one part of alcohol, two parts of chloroform, and three
parts of ether. These parts may be varied however as the attending
physician desires. It is not a quick anæsthetic, but serves every purpose
needed, unless full anæsthesia is sought. The patient can manage this
herself, and it thus serves two purposes, giving her something beside her
discomfort to think of, and taking away the pain so that there is little
left to think about.
Take a light drinking glass, fill half full of absorbent cotton, and drop
a few drops of the mixture upon it; at the beginning of a pain, or a
little before, take a half dozen full breaths, and the pain is toned down
to a very bearable thing. The patient can hold the glass, and there is no
danger of her taking too much, as her hand will drop when she has enough
to render her a little drowsy. This should rarely be given, until the
second stage of labor begins, as it will sometimes retard if given in the
first stage.
In the last few days before labor, there is often a nervous restlessness
on the part of many women which can easily be appeased by the physician.
A few questions, an examination if necessary, the quiet assurance that
everything is all right, will do much to quiet the unrest. The home
friends can likewise aid in this by judiciously suggesting changes, and
recreation a little out of the ordinary, or a loved visitor will tide
over the intervening days beautifully.
There are at times during the last few days, pains that simulate labor
pains, and make the time drag heavily. Try and put by all thoughts of
anxiety, as you will have warning sufficient to give you time for every
needed preparation. Should your pains come with any degree of regularity,
consult your physician about it, that he may be on his guard and prepared
for a call at any moment. As soon as you have the premonition of regular
pains, unless the bowels have moved freely already that day, they should
be moved by a full enema or injection. During the waiting time occupy
yourself as pleasantly as possible, keeping about the house or room,
until obliged to take to the bed, as the time will seem shorter and you
can aid much by keeping about on the feet. Be cheerful, courageous, and
strong; remembering all the time that you are only fulfilling a _natural_
law, and that the _large majority_ of cases are simple and uncomplicated,
and give no trouble whatever.
Let no one into the room who has not a cheery word to say and a bright
face to give strength to the word. Long faces and solemnity are not
wanted here, but joy and gladness that the mystery of birth, the coming
into life of a new creation, is to be enacted, and this her time of
“deliverance” should be celebrated with joy.
Should any foolish one dare whisper, banish them at once, and see to it
that they do not return. If you fear to offend, send them on some needed
errand that will take several hours, and pray that it will all be over
before they return to rejoice with you.
There are three well marked stages of labor. The first is perhaps to the
novice the most tedious, as one cannot see the progress made, and there
is a feeling that nothing is being accomplished. This first stage is what
is familiarly called the getting-ready stage, that is, the opening of the
mouth of the uterus, ready for the expulsion of the child. Many women
keep about their work, paying but little attention to this stage, while
a goodly number are unconscious of it entirely, the contractions taking
place in so orderly a manner, that no pain is felt, or if any, very
slight. At this stage if tedious, a good sitz bath will afford comfort,
and aid in the regular contractions. Often most of the discomfort at this
time is because of nervousness. Keep cool, jolly and cheerful and all
will go well.
When there is a natural desire to bear down with a pain, the second or
expulsive stage has begun. Then you may administer your anæsthetic,
giving as described above.
Often this stage is very short and easily borne, as the patient can note
the progress made, and sees the end nearer. A recent patient who had had
two children before, felt very little discomfort during the first stage,
and recognizing the beginning of the second, remarked at the first pain,
“That was not very hard, but think how many more there must be.” The next
pain came, and she had hardly time to reach the bed, before the little
one was ushered into existence. The chances are that if your dress has
been hygienic, your exercise what it should have been, your baths kept up
faithfully, that you will be one of those who will be surprised at the
ease of your labor.
The second stage terminates with the birth of the child. A rest follows
this of from a quarter to a half an hour, when follows the expulsion of
the placenta, or afterbirth, which is the third stage.
A word here as to the best method of tying the placentic cord. A fancy
obtains among a few physicians that the cord need not be tied, if the
child is not severed from the mother until the cord has ceased to
pulsate. However this may be, I am sure you will feel more secure if
the cord is well tied. The latest and most approved method and one which
is surest to prevent hemorrhage, is this. Tie the placentic cord at a
distance of about three inches from the body of the child, sever it just
beyond the place where it is tied, then fold it back and with the same
thread tie the placentic cord again an inch from the child, leaving the
loop of cord as it is, until it dries and falls off. The fold and double
tie make assurance doubly sure as far as hemorrhage is concerned.
The rest which follows the close of labor, rest of body and mind, can be
understood only when experienced, no words can explain it. The labor is
over, all that has been told you of terror and danger has not been yours,
and the pain is all forgotten in the joy that a child is born, is yours,
and you hug it to your heart for very joy. Cherish it, dear mother,
rejoice in it, and train it to become a truly great child of a noble
mother.