It is not out of place here to warn a young wife against being advised by a neighbor or a busybody, as to whom she should select as physician or nurse. You must not depend upon the gossip of the neighborhood. The physician or nurse whom you are told by one of these irresponsible individuals not to take, may be the one above all others whom you should take. When you hear a gossiping woman decry a physician, depend upon it, she owes him something,—most often it is a bill, but it may only be a grudge. There is no class of men in any community who are maligned and abused so much as are physicians. They seem to be the choice victims of the enmity and spite of every malicious feminine tongue. A woman should think twice before she utters a criticism regarding the work of a physician. She would, if she but knew how quickly she brands and advertises herself as irresponsible and lacking in ordinary courtesy and good breeding, as she is not qualified to criticise the professional capability of a physician, nor is she qualified to estimate the extent of the wrong she perpetrates. There is no class of men who do more conscientious work, day
after day, than do physicians, and there is no class of men who are more deserving of the commendation of the entire community than the thousands of self-sacrificing, underpaid members of the medical profession. Be suspicious therefore when you hear a criticism, and be very, very sure before you utter one,—rather give him the benefit of the doubt and you will do no wrong, and it may be at some future date you will be thankful you did not criticise.
CHAPTER VII
THE HYGIENE OF PREGNANCY.
Daily Conduct of the Pregnant Woman—Instructions Regarding Household Work—Instructions Regarding Washing and Sweeping—Instructions Regarding Exercise—Instructions Regarding Passive Exercise—Instructions Regarding Toilet Privileges—-Instructions Regarding Bathing—Instructions Regarding Sexual Intercourse—Clothing During Pregnancy—Diet of Pregnant Women—Alcoholic Drinks During Pregnancy—The Mental State of the Pregnant Woman—The Social Side of Pregnancy—Minor Ailments of Pregnancy—Morning Nausea, or Sickness—Treatment of Morning Nausea, or Sickness—Nausea Occurring at the End of Pregnancy—Undue Nervousness During Pregnancy—The 100 Per Cent. Baby—Headache—Acidity of the Stomach, or Heartburn—Constipation—Varicose Veins, Cramps, Neuralgias—Insomnia—Treatment of Insomnia—Ptyalism, or Excessive Flow of Saliva—Vaginal Discharge, or Leucorrhea—Importance of Testing Urine During Pregnancy—Attention to Nipples and Breasts—The Vagaries of Pregnancy—Contact with Infectious Diseases—Avoidance of Drugs—The Danger Signals of Pregnancy.
CONDUCT OF THE PREGNANT WOMAN
The young wife will arrange her daily routine according to the physician's instructions, which, by the way, she should faithfully carry out. If you are one of the fortunate many who enjoy reasonably good health, you have doubtless been told to follow a plan very similar to the one we shall now briefly outline.
For the first six months she can safely continue to do her household work. It is to her advantage to do so for many reasons, but especially because it helps to keep her physically in good condition, and because it keeps her mind engaged, thus avoiding a tendency to nervous worry. After the sixth month it is desirable to give up the heavier part of the work. Washing and sweeping should be absolutely prohibited. Moving furniture or heavy trunks must not be done by the prospective mother, but all light