Did you ever hear of the remarks made by a famous philosopher who was given a dinner by his friends in celebration of his 85th birthday? In replying to the eulogisms of his friends he said in part:
"As I look back into those blessed years that have faded away, I can recall a lot of troubles and many worries as well as much happiness and pleasure, and thinking of it all this evening I can truthfully say my worst troubles and worries never happened."
So it is with the woman who for weeks or months has made her own life wretched, and possibly the life of her husband and friends, the same in imagining all kinds of dreadful things that never take place. It is undoubtedly an exhibition of weakness, an evidence of failure in the development of self-control. Childbirth is a natural process,—there is nothing mysterious about it. If you do your part you have no cause to fear,—the very fact, however, that you entertain a dread of it, shows that you are not doing your part. One of the saddest parts of life, one of the real tragedies of living, is the fact that most of us have to live so long before we really begin to profit by our experiences. Could we only be taught to learn the lesson of experience earlier, when life is younger and hope stronger, we would have so much more to live for and so many more satisfied moments to profit by. One of the most valuable lessons experience can teach any human being is not to worry and fret about the future. You can plant ahead of yourself a path of roses and be cheerful, or you can plant a bed of thorns and reap a thorny reward. Cultivate the spirit of contentment, devote all your energy to making the actual present comfortable. Don't fret about what is going to bother you next week, because, as the philosopher said, most of the troubles we anticipate and worry about never occur, but the worry kills.
Regarding the Use of Anesthetics in Confinements.—Anesthetics are as a rule given in all
confinements that are not normal. To make this statement more plain it may be said, that, when it is necessary to use instruments, or to perform any operation of a painful character, it is the invariable rule to give anesthetics. As to the wisdom of giving an anesthetic when labor is progressing in a normal and satisfactory manner, there is a difference of opinion. Much depends upon the disposition of the patient and the viewpoint of the physician in charge of the case. It is a fact that a large number of confinements are easy and are admitted to be so, by the patients themselves, and in which it would be medically wrong to give an anesthetic. In a normal confinement, however, when the pains are particularly severe and the progress slow, there is no medical reason why an anesthetic could not be given to ease the pain. In these cases it is not necessary to render the patient completely unconscious. Sufficient anesthetic to dull each pain is all that is necessary, and as this can be accomplished with absolute safety by the use of an anesthetic mixture of alcohol, ether and chloroform, there can be no possible objection to it. The use of an anesthetic, however, is a matter that must be left entirely to the judgment of the physician as there are frequently good reasons why it should not be given under any circumstances.
The Presence of Friends and Relatives in the Confinement Chamber.—It is a safe rule to exclude every one from the confinement room during the later stages of labor. Sometimes it is desirable to make an exception to this rule in the interest of the patient, by permitting the mother or husband to remain. If this exception is made, however, they must be told to conduct themselves in a way that will tend to keep the patient in cheerful spirits. They must not sympathize, or go around with solemn, gloomy faces. Cheerfulness and an encouraging word will tide over a trying moment when the reverse might prove disastrous.
Practically the same rule applies to the entire period of convalescence during which time the patient is confined to bed. This is a very important episode in a woman's life and the consequences may be serious if it is misused in any way. Friends and relatives do not appreciate the
absolute necessity of guarding the patient from small talk and gossip, and an unwitting remark may cause grave mental distress, which may retard the patient's convalescence and disastrously affect the quality and quantity of her milk, thereby injuring the child.
How Long Should a Woman Stay in Bed After a Confinement?—To answer this question by stating a specific number of days would be wrong, because, few women understand the need for staying in bed after they feel well enough to get up. If any answer was given, it should be at least fourteen days, and it would be nearer the truth medically to double that time. Let us consider what is going on at this period. The natural size of the unimpregnated womb is three by one and three-quarter inches, and its weight is one to two ounces. The average size of the pregnant womb just previous to labor is twenty by fourteen inches, and its weight about sixteen ounces. We have, therefore, an increase of about 600% to be got rid of before it assumes again its normal condition. This decrease cannot be accomplished quickly by any known medical miracle. Nature takes time and she will not be hurried: she will do it in an orderly, perfect manner if she is allowed to. The womb will again find its proper location and will resume its work, in a painless, natural way, in due time, if all goes well. The uterus or womb is held in its place by two bands or ligaments, one on either side, and is supported in front and back by the structures next to it. These bands keep the womb in place in much the same way as a clothes pin sits on a clothes line, and it will retain its proper place provided everything is just right. After labor, it is large and top heavy. If you put a weight on the top of a clothes pin as it sits on a clothes line, what will take place? It will tilt one way or the other, and if the weight is heavy, it will turn completely over. So long as the woman lies in bed the womb will gradually shrink back to its proper size and place; if she sits up or gets out of bed too soon, the weight of the womb, being top heavy, will cause it to tilt and sag out of its true position. As soon as it does this the weight of the bowels and other structures above will push and crowd it further
out of place. This crowding and tilting interferes with the circulation in the womb and its proper contraction is interfered with, and thus is laid the foundation for the multitude of womb troubles that exist.