Corsets

The Prospective Mother: A Handbook for Women During Pregnancy
by J. Morris Slemons

(Page 10 of 17)

No question connected with women's dress has provoked so much discussion as the use of corsets. "Are corsets necessary to health?" has been differently answered by those who would appear to be equally competent authorities. In the time of our savage ancestors we may safely conclude that they were not used; and, therefore, it is really a question as to whether their continued use for generation after generation has finally made some support of this kind indispensable to the average woman. While that matter has not as yet been settled, it is obvious that custom is really responsible for the conviction of many women that they appear slovenly without corsets. On the other hand, not a few women, unmindful of fashion, never wear them; they testify that they are healthier for doing so. Whether this be true or not, no one can honestly believe that corsets will soon be banished; and the practical problem is to distinguish between those that may do good and those certain to do harm.

During pregnancy the abdomen tends to fall forward and slightly downward, and though it is in pregnancies after the first that this tendency is most marked, every prospective mother will be more comfortable if she wears some sort of support to counteract what physicians term a "pendulous abdomen." Such a condition can be prevented by the use of several appliances, and the device best suited to the case should be chosen. Those who have never become accustomed to corsets will probably find a corset-waist or an abdominal supporter the most comfortable and useful. But the average young woman who has previously employed a sensible, well made, and loosely fitting corset need make no change until the third or fourth month of pregnancy. From then on she should wear a corset especially designed to conform with the changes that naturally occur in the figure.

There is a plan, wrong in principle, which many adopt. Reasoning that it will be necessary to change the corset from time to time, and desiring to practice economy, a number of women purchase the cheapest corset at hand. This they replace with a larger one of the same style from time to time. The result is that an improperly fitting garment is worn continuously; and, in the end, this plan proves almost as expensive as, and far less suitable than, a proper corset, which would remain serviceable throughout pregnancy, or at least until a few weeks before confinement.

Most, and probably all, of the injuries for which corsets are responsible result from their misuse. Naturally serious consequences may be expected if they are worn with the design of compressing the abdomen so as to render pregnancy less noticeable or perhaps to conceal it altogether. Thus worn, the corset becomes not only an instrument of torture but a source of danger both to the mother and to the child. Fortunately there are very few women who fail to appreciate the risk of thus striving to disguise their condition; and generally it is the needless discomfort, the trifling ills thoughtlessly inflicted upon themselves, that prospective mothers must be taught to avoid.

At present there are manufactured a number of excellent maternity corsets; but there are also worthless types, and some likely to do harm. To judge them fairly they must be examined with regard to several requirements. In the first place the corset should not be stiff and should always be capable of easy adjustment; it must never interfere with the activity of any organ. As enceinte, the French word meaning pregnant, signifies, the prospective mother should be unbound. Tight clothing, as we have already remarked, hinders the breathing movements; it also interferes with the action of the heart, and occasionally causes the child to assume an unfavorable position within the uterus. The adjustment of the maternity corset to the progressive development of the body is generally provided for by means of extra lacings down the sides, and by the insertion of elastic material.

The maternity corset, in the next place, must support the enlarged uterus. Correctly shaped and worn, it extends well down in front, fits snugly around the hips, and arches forward so as to conform to the curve of the abdomen. In place of the arching, or "cupping" as manufacturers call it, some maternity corsets have attached to their lower edge limp flaps of a strong fabric which lace together. The maternity corset-waist also should extend well under the abdomen and fit snugly around the hips.

Finally, the corset should support the bust; the unpleasant sensations due to congestion of the breasts can be relieved most successfully by elevating them. It is exceedingly important, however, that the upper part of the corset should fit loosely, for otherwise the development of the breasts may be hindered, and the nipples depressed. As a further precaution against pressure above and also to secure the proper amount of support below, it is generally advisable to begin putting on the corset while lying down. In every case the corset should be laced from below upward; if laced in the opposite direction it fails to lift the womb and tends to push all the abdominal organs downward.

Any kind of corset is likely to become uncomfortable toward the end of pregnancy; and of course should then be discarded. An abdominal supporter made of woven linen or rubber is frequently used to advantage during the last three or four weeks. With the first pregnancy the supporter is rarely necessary, but with subsequent ones it is frequently useful as early as the sixth month and is indispensable later. A substitute for the manufactured supporter can be made at home. Some such device often facilitates turning in bed, and on that account may be found even more useful at night than during the day.

The Breasts. Personal hygiene during pregnancy includes the preparation of the breasts with a view to success in nursing. All measures which promote the health of a prospective mother also serve to equip her for the nursing period; and in that sense the directions just given for the care of the body, as well as the rules to follow in the next chapter regarding a wholesome way of living, bear directly upon lactation. But there are also local measures to be adopted, some of which, such as supporting the breasts and avoiding constriction by the clothing, have already been mentioned. Finally, the nipples must be toughened and, if short or flat, they must be drawn out, for the best supply of milk will count for nothing if the infant cannot nurse comfortably.

Some approved method of toughening the nipples so that they will not be injured by the sucking efforts of the infant, no matter how vigorous, should be begun eight weeks before the expected date of confinement; to start earlier will do no harm, but it is quite unnecessary. A number of procedures have been advocated, but in my own experience the following simple method is the best. The nipples are scrubbed for five minutes, night and morning, with soap and warm water. Generally, a soft brush, such as a complexion-brush, is satisfactory; but if this is too harsh, at first a wash cloth may be used. After having been thoroughly scrubbed the nipples are anointed with lanolin and covered with a small square of clean, old linen to prevent soiling of the clothing.

Another method widely used, but somewhat less trustworthy, consists in bathing the nipples and applying a dilute solution of alcohol. Formerly brandy, whiskey, or cologne were recommended, but at present the following solution is commonly used. A tablespoonful of powdered boric acid is added to three ounces of water and thoroughly mixed. This is poured into a six-ounce bottle, which is then filled with grain alcohol (95 per cent). The solution is applied twice a day with a small piece of absorbent cotton.

Well-formed nipples need only be toughened, but depressed nipples require additional treatment; and this should be begun about the middle of pregnancy. The old-fashioned way of making the nipple more prominent was to cover it with the mouth of a bottle which had previously been warmed. The vacuum created, as the bottle cooled, drew the nipple out. Similarly, the bowl of a clay pipe was sometimes placed over the nipple; the patient sucked the stem, the nipple was drawn into the bowl, and with persistence day after day success was often attained. A similar and somewhat more aesthetic procedure is now employed. The nipple is seized between the thumb and finger and alternately pulled out and allowed to retract. These manipulations, if faithfully practiced for several months, generally make the nipple prominent enough for the infant to grasp. Occasionally patients need to wear a contrivance sold at instrument stores which consists of a circular piece of wood modeled to fit the breast and perforated in the middle to accommodate the nipple. The appliance should not be used unless a physician thinks it necessary.

Directions regarding the care of the breasts are sometimes taken lightly, yet such care is not a minor duty. Now and then a patient will pass through pregnancy uneventfully, will be delivered without difficulty, and will enter upon what promises to be a rapid convalescence when her recovery is interrupted by the development of inflammation of the breast. Because such a complication may be prevented, its appearance is the more to be regretted. Furthermore, the responsibility for its prevention usually rests with the patient herself. If she has been conscientious in preparing the nipples and continues to watch them throughout the nursing period, the annoyance of an abscess will almost certainly be prevented.