Getting ready to be a mother

by Carolyn Conant Van Blarcom

The toughening of the nipples should be begun eight weeks before the baby is expected. There are two general methods which seem to give about equally satisfactory results. One is to soften the skin, and the other is to harden it. In either case the nipples should first be scrubbed gently with a soft brush or cloth, warm water and soap, for about five minutes night and morning. After the scrubbing they should be rubbed with lanolin, cocoa butter or vaselin and covered with a piece of clean soft cloth or gauze, to protect the clothing. Or, they may be bathed with a wash consisting of equal parts of a saturated solution of boracic acid and 95 per cent alcohol. You will probably have to have a druggist prepare this for you because of the alcohol.

But no matter which course is followed the care must be regular to be effective. You will find that matters will be simplified if you will assemble in one place and keep in readiness the soap, brush and lotion or ointment which you use each time, using them for no other purpose.

Care of the Teeth. It is very important for the expectant mother to give her teeth scrupulous care from the beginning of pregnancy, for in addition to the ordinary wear and tear with which we all have to cope, her tendency to have an acid stomach makes her mouth acid and this is bad for her teeth. Accordingly, in addition to using dental floss and brushing your teeth after each meal, you should use an alkaline mouth wash several times daily, particularly after vomiting and before retiring, for much damage may be done by the acid secretions in the mouth if they are allowed to bathe the teeth during the long night stretches. Common baking soda (a teaspoonful to a tumbler of water), lime water or milk of magnesia all make excellent mouth washes. It is important, also, that you consult a dentist as soon as you know that you are pregnant and have any necessary repairs done promptly, for delay may be serious.

COMMON DISCOMFORTS DURING PREGNANCY

You may have a number of minor ills and temporary disturbances during pregnancy which are not serious but capable of making you very uncomfortable, and which you may sometimes relieve yourself. But should they be severe or persistent, you should consult your doctor at once. The most common of these minor discomforts may be grouped as digestive disturbances and “pressure symptoms.”

Chief among the digestive disturbances are “morning sickness,” “heartburn,” “distress” and flatulence or “gas.”

“Morning sickness” is probably the commonest discomfort of pregnancy as it occurs in about half of all cases. Because of the expectant mother’s tendency to nausea during the early months, it may be brought on by slight causes which would not produce nausea under ordinary conditions. While it is true that grief, anxiety, fright, shock, incessant worry, fits of temper or brooding may induce nausea when the diet is entirely satisfactory, nausea and even vomiting may be caused in the expectant mother just as they may in any one else by indiscretions in diet, rapid or overeating. On the other hand, simple, light food taken in small quantities, five or six times daily, eaten slowly and masticated thoroughly; the cultivation of a happy frame of mind; exercise and fresh air all tend to prevent this very uncomfortable condition.

Prevention is of great importance, as the habit of vomiting is acquired easily but broken up with difficulty.

When “morning sickness” occurs, however, the sufferer is often relieved by eating two or three hard, unsweetened crackers or crisp toast, immediately upon awaking and then lying still for half or three quarters of an hour. She should then dress slowly, sitting down as much as possible while doing so, and eat her regular breakfast. Lying flat, without a pillow for a little while after meals, or whenever having the slightest feeling of sickness, will frequently prevent, and also relieve nausea. Sometimes comfort is derived from the use of either hot or cold applications over the stomach. Some expectant mothers find that they can prevent nausea by having hot coffee, or even a full breakfast before arising. But the habit of having breakfast in bed should not be cultivated lightly, for in spite of yourself it is likely to make you feel like an invalid, the thing you should carefully avoid. So don’t do it unless your doctor orders it.

“Heartburn,” so called, which is suffered by so many expectant mothers, has nothing to do with the heart. It is due entirely to too much acid in the stomach and is usually felt as a burning sensation, which starts in the stomach and rises into the throat. It may be prevented, as a rule, by taking a tablespoonful of olive oil or a cupful of cream or rich milk fifteen or twenty minutes before meals and avoiding fat and fried food at the meals themselves. Or, it may be enough simply to avoid eating fats and fatty foods. Since the painful, burning sensation is directly due to too much acid in the stomach, it usually may be relieved by taking a tablespoonful of lime water; a teaspoonful of sodium bicarbonate in water; a small piece of magnesium carbonate; or a drink of any alkaline water that one fancies.