68. “Read, Studied, and Took Care.”
I am not, nor have ever been, a very robust woman, so naturally felt the strain of pregnancy perhaps more than some women feel it, but coming away from home as I did, over two hundred miles, when I was married, when I found out my condition, I put myself in the hands of a good doctor, and that helped me a good deal.
With neither of my children was I troubled with sickness, but was troubled a great deal with inflammation and heartburn, with which I had to be very careful, and it prevented me getting about much, especially the last three months. I had splendid times at confinement, but have not been able to nurse either of my children. I tried for four months with the last one, but the baby did not get on, and myself came down very low. I was obliged to resort to artificial feeding, and the baby never looked back after. I do not think any of my troubles came at these times through ignorance. I am one that has always taken great interest in these subjects, and read and studied all I could about them, and naturally took great care of myself at these times. But having at all times weak digestive organs, the extra strain on them during pregnancy brought forth the troubles I had to fight with both before and after confinement.
I do not think any women expect to go through these times without some small amount of—shall I say?—trouble, for which she is fully recompensed when she can take her dear child in her arms.
Wages 45s. to 47s.; two children.