II. SHE ought to stir often, and exercise herself moderately, without stooping or bending the Body too much, lest the UMBILICALS may entangle the Infant.
III. SHE should discreetly rest herself at certain Times, and indulge herself in composing Sleep; lying altogether on her Back, not on either Side, that the Infant may freely turn itself.
IV. FROM the tenth Day, proper Emollient and Laxative Decoctions by way of Baths, may necessarily be used twice or thrice a Week, for moistening the Passages, and facilitating the Birth: Or otherwise, the Belly and proper Parts need only be fomented with Cloths, or Spunges dipp’d in such Decoctions, and the neighbouring Places anointed with apposite Liniments or requisite Ointments: But no Laconick or Sweating Baths or Bagnio’s, ought to be used at this Juncture; notwithstanding some contrary Opinions.
V. THE Infant is to be cherish’d, and strengthen’d by proper Cordials inwardly taken, as well as by outward Applications.
VI. THE Room or Chamber in which the Woman is to undergo her Travail and Lying-In, ought to be conveniently temperate, neither too cold nor too hot: By reason that the one certainly constringes and shuts the Womb; as the other dissipates and debilitates the Spirits.
In short, I have known Women, who have often had most painful, lingring, and laborious Births before; to have been Laid afterwards with the greatest Ease imaginable in a very short time, by only carefully observing the above-prescrib’d REGIMEN. Wherefore I shall take leave to go on farther, to
CHAP. XL.
Of the Natural Causes of BIRTH, and Pains of LABOUR.
THE Causes of a Legitimate or timely natural Birth, are chiefly Three; viz. I. The suppressed or defective Respiration, by the encreasing Calidity of the Heart; which defatigates the Infant so much, that it cannot live without more free Ventilation.
II. PENURY or Scarcity of Aliment; the Infant now requiring More than it can possibly imbibe from the Mother; and therefore it is forced to seek, what Nourishment it farther requires, Elsewhere.