I am very pleased to say that, having one of the best of husbands, I suffered nothing during pregnancy, only ailments of my own caused through my mother having to work in the brickyard during her pregnancy with me. That, I am sorry to say, is the cause of my own and sister’s illness—working hard, knocked about, and poorly fed, a good mother, but a rogue of a father; and that thing will go on until women give up hard work during pregnancy.
110. Husband with Typhoid Fever.
During the first three months of pregnancy with my first baby I suffered fearfully with my head. Then, as time went on, I gradually got better, and able to do my work, and felt quite strong until about the sixth month. Then water began to trouble me; my feet and legs were very much swollen, so much that I could not get any boots on, and had to remain indoors the rest of the time. On the day of the birth I commenced with pains at six o’clock in the morning, and I went on all day, until a quarter to seven at night, and I was getting so weak that the doctor asked me if he might use the instruments. I was glad to have them, but they gave me a fine putting up. The doctor said that my baby could not have been born without them. No doubt it relieved me at the time, but I suffered afterwards, as I was all torn with the instruments, and had to be stitched. I was so weak afterwards that I could not get up on to my elbows, and it took me a considerable time to get my strength up again. At the same time my husband was in bed with an attack of typhoid fever. We had no hospital in our district then. My doctor was very much afraid that I would contract the disease, but I am thankful to say that I escaped. With my second boy I was in good health all the time, and had a quick birth, and without instruments. That was two years and two months after. About four years after the birth of my second boy I had a miscarriage, which I reckon are worse than having a baby, as they nearly drain your system and you suffer severe pain, and it makes you very weak. I always blamed the miscarriage for an attack of nervous debility I had. I first commenced to lose flesh, then my nerves were affected, and I got so weak that I used to faint away several times in the day. My doctor ordered me away for a change, and to get into company, as I was getting so low, but it took me a long time to pick up. About nine years after the birth of my second boy I had a girl, which I am pleased to say put new life into me; it seemed to renew my whole system. She is now eleven years old, and quite strong and healthy.
Wages 27s. 6d. to 42s.; three children, one miscarriage.
111. “Too Exhausted to Eat.”
I have been one of the more fortunate women; being fairly strong, my sufferings have not been so heavy as a lot of poor women. At the same time, I was often so poorly that if I had had means to get a little help at times it would have been a blessing. My husband has never earned more than from 23s. to 25s. a week, and many a time I have had to go without many a thing that would have done me good. When I was expecting my last baby, I think it was with going such a long time, and the others, some of them at work, and coming in to meals. I know I used to get the dinner cooked and struggle through the serving, then I was done, and was obliged to lie down a bit, often without my dinner, as I was too exhausted to eat, and the pleasure of the rest was partly spoiled by the thought of the dinner-table still laid. A bit of help then would have been a boon. But having a good husband smoothed many things over. But this shows that many a woman is unable to do her work, and if the husband is a thoughtless man, or even a bad one, her lot is a hard one indeed. Then, after confinement, women should not be obliged to work, in my opinion, for three weeks, but most working women have to do. I never could possibly keep a woman more than a fortnight—and the struggle during pregnancy of saving up 30s., which was the sum we always aimed for, and it was a big job. Some weeks I have had to be content with putting 3d. away, with the hope of 9d. next week to make it into a shilling. To my mind, this is one of the hardest tasks a working woman has.
Wages 18s. to 25s.; seven children.
112. Thirteen Births and Four Miscarriages.
I am afraid many mothers, like myself, will find it almost impossible to explain our sufferings. During pregnancy we do not all suffer alike, but to me it was nine months of misery. But I had to work all the time. My husband’s wages were only £1 a week, and he had to lose all wet weather. With my fourth child he was out of work twelve weeks in the bitter winter. I worked as dressmaker with a machine nearly night and day, and when the baby was brought into the world with instruments, I nearly lost my life, and could not be moved for nearly a fortnight. My ninth son, I was working at a lady’s house when near my confinement, and in putting down a carpet I hurt myself very much, and was very ill until my baby was born, and then he was born a cripple—would have always walked on his ankles, with the soles of his feet together. But I used to take him to the hospital for a long time, and he is able to get his own living now. So you will see it takes all energy and hope and joy out of a woman’s life, when they have to work the whole time through no fault of their own or their husbands, but just to keep the home together.
Wages £1; twelve children, one still-birth, four miscarriages.