Getting ready to be a mother

by Carolyn Conant Van Blarcom

Traveling. In general, traveling is less dangerous for the expectant mother of to-day than formerly because it causes less strain, discomfort and fatigue than in the old days. But the question cannot be settled once for all women nor for all stages of pregnancy. Each woman’s general condition must be considered; her tendency to nausea; the length of the journey and the ease with which it may be made; also, whether or not she has ever had or been threatened with an abortion. As a rule, it is considered wise to avoid traveling during the first sixteen and the last four weeks of pregnancy, and at the time of the month when menstruation would ordinarily occur. Certainly a journey should not be undertaken at any time during pregnancy without a doctor’s permission.

Rest and Sleep. When we studied the changes that take place during pregnancy we found that as the abdomen increased in size and weight the expectant mother was required to make a constant, though unconscious effort to stand upright. This is probably one reason for the fatigue which she so often feels without apparent cause, and why, upon exertion, she tires more easily than usual.

Accordingly, you may find it necessary to rest frequently during the day in order to avoid the ill effects of fatigue. It is a good plan to work and exercise in short periods rather than long, always lying down when tired, and for an hour or two after the noon meal. You should be careful not to be over active or to overexert yourself at the time when menstruation would occur if you were not pregnant, for fear of bringing on an abortion. This precaution is particularly important during the first four months, the period when abortions occur most frequently.

Since eight hours’ sleep is usually considered necessary to keep the average person in good condition, you can scarcely expect to get along satisfactorily with less. In fact, this is so important to your general well-being that you should make a serious effort to secure it.

Fresh air during the day and open windows at night; prudent eating; a comfortable bed furnished with warm but light bedding; warm baths; a hot water bag to the feet and a hot drink upon retiring are all conducive to sleep.

But in addition to these, and perhaps of even more importance, are cheerfulness and a tranquil, untroubled state of mind.

Breasts. Breast feeding is the most urgent single need of the baby, for whose coming we are making preparations, and practically every mother, excepting those with definite physical disability, can supply this need of her baby’s if she gives herself proper care both before and after his birth. You will be glad to know in this connection that everything that promotes your general health helps to prepare you to nurse your baby, but there is need also for care of the breasts and nipples themselves, to make the nursing satisfactory, and to prevent sore nipples and possibly even breast abscesses.

Briefly, this local care consists of supporting heavy breasts, but avoiding pressure; bringing out flat or retracted nipples and toughening the skin which covers them.

After they become heavy and uncomfortable the breasts may be supported by brassières, which are snug below the breasts, loose over the breasts themselves and suspended from shoulder straps; or by some such binder as is shown in Fig. [11], which answers the same purpose.

If your nipples are flat or retracted, you should begin about the fifth month to make them more prominent in order that when the baby nurses he may be able to grasp them easily. There are several ways of accomplishing this, all of them in the nature of massage, but whatever is done must be done regularly and persistently. One simple and effective method is to grasp the nipple between the thumb and forefinger, draw it out, hold it for a moment, then release it and allow it to retract. This should be done over and over, two or three times daily. Or the unstoppered opening of a warm bottle may be placed over a flat nipple and held in place until the nipple is drawn up into the neck of the bottle as it cools and a partial vacuum is formed.