Getting ready to be a mother

by Carolyn Conant Van Blarcom

The Rectum. In the same picture you will see the rectum which lies just behind the uterus and vagina and which terminates in the anus. Between the rectum and the vagina is a thick triangular mass of muscle, called the perineum, which practically forms a floor to the pelvis, the bony basin without a bottom.

The external genitalia, sometimes called the vulva, really have nothing to do with the creation of the baby, but you will better understand some of the care that is given you if you know a little about them, too. Between the thighs, where they join the body, are two thick folds of flesh, called the labia and between these lie the perineum, just mentioned, and the openings from the rectum, vagina and bladder as shown in Fig. [2].

Now that we have something of an idea of the structure of the organs concerned with the creation of the baby, we shall want to learn about the usual activities of these interesting little parts, before the baby begins his life within them.

Puberty or Adolescence. You know, of course, that girls are incapable of becoming mothers until after what is termed puberty, or adolescence, and by these terms we mean the period during which childhood develops into sexual maturity, and the individual becomes capable of reproduction. The age at which puberty occurs varies with climate, race and occupation and with different individuals of the same status. But the average for girls, in temperate climates, is from the twelfth to the sixteenth year and for boys from the fourteenth to the seventeenth year. Girls in southern climates sometimes mature as early as the eighth or ninth year while in colder regions puberty may be delayed until they are eighteen or twenty years old.

The occurrence of puberty marks the establishment of ovulation and menstruation, two functions which are usually performed once a month during the childbearing period.

Ovulation, which probably occurs about midway between the menstrual periods, is simply the name which has been given to the principal function of the ovary and may be defined as the development of the ovum, or egg, and its expulsion, when mature, from the ovary. As the entire human body has its origin in this tiny ovum, its career and course of development are of momentous importance to us, and at the same time furnish a tale of absorbing interest. The ovaries are packed full of these tiny egg-like cells, which probably lie dormant, as stated before, until the girl reaches puberty. Then they begin to develop and grow and push their way from the inside of the ovary to the surface where they look more or less like blisters. When an ovum reaches the surface of the ovary, a thin membrane which contains it, bursts, and it is suddenly expelled into the abdominal cavity. You will remember that the ovary is very near the funnel-like end of the tube, so, when the little cell is shot out of the ovary, it finds itself floating around quite close to this wide opening. Some of the ova that are projected into the abdominal cavity are doubtless lost, but others find their way into the near-by mouth of the tube, and if not fertilized by uniting with a male cell, which we shall explain presently, they pass down the tube into the uterus and are finally carried out in the menstrual flow. It is probable that as a rule only one ovum ripens and escapes from the ovary each month from puberty until the menopause or change of life.

The interesting thing about all of this is that each time an ovum does mature and is discharged from the ovary, the lining of the uterus becomes thicker and softer in order to facilitate the attachment of the ovum, if it is fertilized, this attachment being necessary if a baby is to develop. This preparation of the uterine lining is often, and very appropriately, referred to as “nest-building.”

Menstruation, which is the evidence of sexual maturity, is a monthly hemorrhage from the uterus, escaping through the vagina, and it normally recurs regularly throughout the childbearing period, except during pregnancy and while the young mother nurses her baby. The length of this childbearing period is about thirty years and continues from puberty until the menopause. The frequency of the menstrual periods varies from twenty-one to thirty days but the normal interval between periods is twenty-eight days, which is the length of what is called the “menstrual cycle.” Thus it is usually a lunar month from the beginning of one period to the next one, making thirteen menstrual periods during each calendar year. The complete course of a menstrual cycle consists of four stages, which, it is believed, occur somewhat as follows:

The first, or constructive stage, lasts about seven days. It is during this stage that the preparations are made to receive the ovum traveling down the tube. The entire uterus becomes congested with blood and is somewhat enlarged and softened as a result, while its lining grows red, thick and velvety. If the ovum remains unfertilized, which is usually the case, it does not attach itself to this elaborately prepared lining, but passes out with the uterine discharges and all of this preparation not only goes for naught but must be undone.

The second stage, therefore, which lasts about five days, is the destructive stage and is the period we speak of as menstruation. During this period the extra tissue which has been formed in the uterus is broken down; it mixes with the blood that oozes from the congested lining and together they pour from the vagina as the menstrual flow.