Rules for the Ninth Month.
In the ninth month let her refrain from lifting any great weight; but let her move a little more, to dilate the parts and stir up natural heat. Let her take heed of stooping, and neither sit too much, nor lie on her sides; neither ought she to bend herself much, lest the child be unfolded in the umbilical ligament, by which means it often perisheth. Let her walk and stir often, and let her exercise be rather to go upwards than downwards. Let her diet, now especially, be light and easy of digestion; and damask prunes with sugar, or figs with raisins, before meat; as also the yolks of eggs, flesh and broth of chickens, birds, partridges and pheasants; astringent and roasted meats, with rice, hard eggs, millet, and such like other things, are proper. Baths of sweet water, with emollient herbs, ought to be used by her this month with some intermission; and after the baths, let her belly be anointed with oil of violets; but for her privy parts it is better to anoint them with the fat of hens, geese, or ducks, or with oil of lilies, and the decoction of linseed and fenugreek, boiled with oil of linseed and marshmallows, or with the following liniment:—
“Take of mallows and marshmallows, cut and shred, of each an ounce; of linseed one ounce; let them be boiled from twenty ounces of water to ten; then let her take three ounces of the boiled broth; of oil of almonds and oil of flower-de-luce, of each one ounce; of deer’s suet three ounces.” Let her bathe with this, and anoint herself with it warm.
If for fourteen days before the birth she do every morning and evening bathe and moisten her belly with muscadine and lavender water, the child will be much strengthened thereby. And if every day she eat toasted bread, it will hinder any thing from growing to the child. Her privy parts may be gently stroked down with this fomentation.
“Take three ounces of linseed, and one handful each of mallows and marshmallows sliced, then let them be put into a bag and immediately boiled.” Let the pregnant woman, every morning and evening, take the vapour of this decoction in a hollow stool, taking great heed that no wind or air come to her in-parts, and then let her wipe the parts so anointed with a linen cloth, and she may anoint the abdomen and groin as at first.
When she is come so near her time as to be within ten or fourteen days thereof, if she begins to feel any more than ordinary pain, let her use every day the following:—“Take mallows and marshmallows, of each one handful; camomile, hard mercury, maiden-hair, of each a handful; of linseed, four ounces; let them be boiled in a sufficient quantity of water as to make a bath therewith.” But let her not sit too hot upon the seat, nor higher than a little above the navel; nor let her sit on it longer than about half an hour, lest her strength languish and decay; for it is better to use it often than to stay too long in it.
And thus have I shown how a child-bearing woman ought to govern herself each month during her pregnancy. How she must order herself at her delivery, shall be shown in another chapter, after I have first shown the intended midwife how the child is first formed in the womb, and the manner of its decumbiture there.
CHAPTER III.
Of the Parts proper to a Child in the Womb. How it is formed there, and the Manner of its Situation therein.
In the last chapter I treated of conception, showing what it was, how accomplished, its signs, and how she who has conceived ought to order herself during the time of her pregnancy. Now, before I come to speak of her delivery, it is necessary that the midwife be first made acquainted with the parts proper to a child in the womb, and also, that she be shown how it is formed; and the manner of its situation and decumbiture there; which are so necessary to her, that without the knowledge thereof, no one can tell how to deliver a woman as she ought. This, therefore, shall be the work of this chapter. I shall begin with the first of these.