99. Story of a Confinement.
My first child was born ten months after my marriage. My husband’s age at marriage was twenty-eight years, and my own age twenty-five years, and we are both Londoners, residing all our life in the city of London, until my first-born attained the age of eleven months.
My children have been born quite healthy, and the doctors have said fine babies. But I am pleased to say I am a mother who has had no terrible sufferings to relate as to the sufferings of a long period of labour. Two hours and a half has been the time from the very first stage of labour, until the appearance into this world of each of my children. And I would say, personally, women were never created to suffer as many a one does. I made this remark to my first nurse, and she said, “You are right.” I had been told such experiences by women who had had families. It is nature, and nature does or should do its own work, she said. Take, for instance, the apple. When it is fully ripe, it falls from the tree. So the child, when the time has arrived for its appearance, I say it should come as naturally, not to look upon the little creature distorted and bruised through having to be brought into the world.
My strong conviction is, as soon as a woman feels the slightest pain she should have immediate attention. You are strong at the commencement, and able to give the help in bringing your baby, but if allowed to go on for hours your strength is exhausted, you have lost that power and vitality which you require, that after hours of suffering artificial means have to be resorted to.
My second child was born at N——. The doctor did his own work and the nurse’s too, arriving and leaving the house in half an hour, my mother just taking the baby until the nurse had time to get in the room.
Now, by my third child I will try to show where I think much is at fault by not having immediate attention. My little daughter was born in D——. My husband had at four o’clock to fetch the doctor and nurse (a qualified midwife) nearly two miles away; no other reliable nearer.
They resided a stone’s-throw from each other. But on bringing the nurse and explaining while she dressed she was to call the doctor, she would not hear of it, and fairly repudiated the idea of such a quick confinement, sarcastically saying, never in her experience. Well, the doctor was not informed. Previously on engaging them I made it quite clear how my boys had been born—so quickly. In D——, I may say in passing, indiarubber gloves are worn by the nurse on receiving the child, and like all rubber things in these cases have to be boiled before using. Nurse arrived. Every single thing was ready for her. There was a bright fire, and every possible article to lay her hands on, baby’s clothes on the horse airing and warming.
She looked at me in my agony, and said: “Oh, not likely to come off yet, ma” (to my mother), and sent the old soul out for a saucepan to boil the new gloves in. Well, it went on for a time, until I felt my pains were leaving me, and I would not trouble any longer; I was tired. But I thought, no. Why should I suffer? I called to my husband, and he came to the bedroom door, and I said: “Fetch the doctor, I want attention.” He went. The nurse said: “Well, I know you have the whole day to go by the look of things. Doctor will be very cross. He is very busy, and does not like being brought out of bed. He knows everything is right when I am on the case.” I felt another little pain, and I made another effort, my breath almost gone. I called to her, boiling her gloves: “If you do not leave those blessed things, the child will be here.” She flew to me, laughing at an unnecessary fuss, but my child was entering the world, two minutes after my husband had left the house, but, being certified, she did the doctor’s work. But she could not get the afterbirth, and pushed and fairly punched my stomach most unmercifully to get it, and I said: “Well, nurse, I really cannot stand this any longer. My two previous doctors had said, never be in a hurry for this. Let nature have its course; it will come in time. The doctor will be here soon, and he will soon get it.” The doctor had heard and come in, and told the nurse to see to the baby, who was bitterly cold, and he would see to me. In a very few minutes I was quite comfortable.
The doctor was very cross at not having been notified by the nurse that she was on her way to me, knowing the statement I had given when engaging them.
If there is truth in it or not, I was told later that if all was over and done with before the arrival of the doctor, the nurse was given something out of the fee.