PREGNANCY
And now just a few words about having children, and this treatise will end.
As has already been said, every true husband and wife who are well enough and strong enough, and who are reasonably furnished with this world's goods, ought to have and rear at least two children. The world needs at least so many, even if all children lived and grew up, to keep up the constant number of people on the earth. But, far more than this, the husband and wife need children to make a home complete, and a complete home is the supreme attainment of human life!
This does not mean that people should not marry unless they can have children; there are many women who should never even try to become mothers. But these should not be deprived of all sexual joys for this reason. On the contrary, it is for their best good, in most cases, that they should marry and so live normal sex lives, in all respects except parenthood.
But, for the most part, husbands and wives can have children, if they so desire, and they SHOULD so desire.
And, so desiring, the question is, How can they best fulfil such desire?
As a matter of fact, there is very little that is really known about the begetting of children, and the securing of the best results from such action. The laws of human heredity are, as yet, for the most part, unknown. But common sense would seem to indicate a few things that must be best in the premises.
Thus, it would seem to be for the best that the husband and wife should be in good physical condition when a child is begotten. More than this, it would seem right that the act of begetting should be a deliberate, and not a mere chance begetting. Hence, in general, it is well for the husband and wife to agree upon a time for the begetting of a child, and deliberately accomplish a sex-meeting for such purpose. Although, one instinctively feels that such a deliberate meeting might be too matter of fact—too cold and formal, lacking in warm blood and genuine emotion; still, the probabilities are that even this could be overcome, if kept in mind and "provided for."
Referring to the things that have already been said, of course an embrace which is to result in pregnancy should be one of the most perfect that can possibly be experienced, one in which, in an ecstasy of love's delight, husband and wife merge their souls and bodies into a perfect oneness—it would seem that from such a meeting the best, and only the best results could come.
And so if the husband and wife will agree that from a given time on, they will cease to have a care to prevent conception; and then, sometime immediately following the fifth day after the beginning of the menstrual flow, they will naturally meet in a perfect embrace, the probabilities are that they will have done the best possible to secure the highest attainable results from the act of begetting a child.
As a rule, the proper time for such begetting is between the fifth and the tenth day after the beginning of the menstrual flow. It is sometimes best, however, to make the meeting earlier than this, even before the flow has ceased. Some women will conceive then who cannot do so at any other time. And so, if a wife should be unable to conceive between the fifth and the tenth day, as noted, let an earlier date be tried. If this should fail, consult a reliable physician.
It ought to be said, too, that putting off having children too long, is very apt to result in the sterility of the wife. Many a young wife, who has really wanted to have children sometime, and who would be greatly grieved if she thought she could not bear a child, has kept putting it off, and has done this so often, and for so long, that, when the "convenient day" does come, she finds that she has "sinned away her day of grace."
Speaking generally, the first baby should be born not much later than two years after marriage. There are, of course, exceptions to this, but it is a good rule to go by.
Have your children when you are young! This is common sense, it comes out best in the long run, and is the best thing to do, ninety-nine times in a hundred. Then, you are nearer the age of your children as they grow up than if you waited till you were in the late thirties before the children came. If your son or daughter is only twenty-some years younger than you are, you can be "kids" with them. If you are forty years old when they are born, you will always be "old folks" to them. Have the babies when you are young. It is far better so.
If no children come from the meeting of husband and wife consult a good doctor. But, in such event, if neither of the parties is to blame—or even otherwise, make the best of the situation, love each other, and make the most of wedded life with what is left.
Above all, with children or without (and a thousand times better with) make a home that is a home. That is what sex in the human family, what married life is for—to make a home. Nearly all that makes a home is centered around sex. No two normal men can make a home! No two normal women can make a home! It takes a man and a woman to make a home. It takes father, mother and children to make the most perfect home. Make up your minds to have a most perfect home, and do your utmost to reach that goal!
The query often arises in the minds of conscientious husbands and wives whether or not it is right to engage in coitus during pregnancy. On this point authorities differ, though most of them hold against such practice. The reasons they give for such adverse decision are all based on the same old infernal lie, namely, that, sexually, man is a mere animal, and so is subject to the laws and practices of mere animality. This is the worst outrage ever perfected by a false philosophy, which is heralded as the will of God. Out on it, altogether!
The simple truth, is that, if the husband and wife have mastered the Art of Love, so that they mutually desire each other, and both long for sex exercise during the gestation period, it is perfectly right and WISE for them to satisfy their natural COMMON wishes.
Of course, in such exercise, the utmost care should be taken not to press too hard upon the pelvic region of the woman, and in this regard, the word of caution needs to be heeded, as much by the prospective mother as by her mate. For, in the intensity of an orgasm, she may be tempted to crowd her body too violently against her husband, and so possible harm might result. Especially if the husband-superior position is taken during the act, he should be doubly careful not to permit the weight of his body to rest upon the enlarged part of the wife's anatomy, not in the least.
Indeed, the safest position for coitus, during pregnancy is, the woman on her back, and the man with his hips on the bed below hers, so that there is no possibility of pressure on her abdomen, which is perfectly free, in this position. In this position, the act may be engaged in, during pregnancy, as often as mutually desired, to the benefit of both parties.
Many pregnant women are more than usually passionate during the period of gestation. This is especially the case when the wife is happy in her condition, when she rejoices with exceeding great joy that she is on the way to experience the divine crown of wifehood—maternity! When such a woman desires her husband in love's embrace, it is cruel to deprive her of her longed-for delight.
Again, a wife, unpregnant, and when she rightfully wishes to remain so, may be somewhat fearful of becoming pregnant when she meets her husband, and so hesitate to give her passion full play, thereby missing the utmost delights of an embrace—but if she be pregnant, and so has no fear on this score, she can give herself up to utter abandonment to her impulses.
On this point, the final word is, use common sense, in a spirit of absolute MUTUALITY.
It goes without saying that it would be wicked, not to say a crime, for a husband to compel his wife to engage in coitus during pregnancy, against her will. On the other hand, many a wife has first experienced an orgasm when meeting her husband during pregnancy. The reason for this is that her fear of becoming pregnant is not then present—a condition which has before kept her from the climax.
It is further true that many a wife will greatly relieve and delight her husband if, on occasion, and as both may desire, she will relieve him with her hand; or sometimes, that they engage in mutual relief by this means during pregnancy.