(a) Transitory Signs; (b) Persistent Signs of Delivery
(a) Transitory Signs of Delivery
1. General Indisposition.—The face is pale or flushed; the eyes sunken, and surrounded by a dark areola; there is considerable debility, and a tendency to faint; the skin is warm and moist, and the pulse quick. It must be borne in mind that a woman who is anxious to conceal her recent delivery may, by an effort of the will, to a great extent hide her real condition.
2. The Breasts.—The breasts feel firm and “knotty,” and on pressure yield a small quantity of colostrum or milk, which may be distinguished by the aid of a microscope.
3. The Abdomen.—The skin of the abdomen shows signs of recent distension; it is relaxed, and more or less thrown into folds, the lower part marked by irregular broken streaks of a pinkish tint, becoming white and silvery as time goes on.
4. The Lochia, or the “Cleansings.”—These consist in a discharge from the uterus, which, for the first three or four days after delivery, is more or less bloody. During the succeeding four or five days it acquires a dirty-greenish colour—“green waters,” with a peculiar sour, rancid odour. In a few days this is succeeded by a yellowish, milky-looking mucous discharge, which may continue for four or five weeks.
5. External Parts of Generation.—The labia and vagina bear distinct marks of injury and distension.
6. The Uterus.—The uterus is enlarged, and may be felt by the hand for two or three days after delivery, as a round ball, just above the pubes. The orifice of the uterus, if examined a few hours after delivery, appears as a continuation of the vagina. This condition completely disappears in about a week after delivery.
7. After-pains.—These are of no use from a diagnostic point of view, as we have no means of testing their presence or absence.