General Hygienic Measures : Part 5

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

(Page 11 of 17)

To be on the safe side a prospective mother who has previously had a miscarriage should not travel at any time during pregnancy; others are not obliged to follow this stringent rule except during the first sixteen and the last four weeks of pregnancy. In the former period there is some danger of miscarriage because traveling may cause separation of the relatively loose attachment of the ovum. In the latter period the muscle-fibers of the womb are usually irritable and therefore the rolling of a ship or the jolting of a car may set up painful contractions which in some instances expel the fetus. Generally there is the least risk of accident between the eighteenth and the thirty-second weeks, though patients should be careful even during this interval not to travel at the time when a menstrual period would ordinarily be expected.

The length of the journey and the ease with which it can be made are also important features to be considered. Obviously there will be less danger of mishap from a short trip than from a long one; if possible, therefore, long journeys by rail should be broken so as to afford opportunity for rest. Railroad trips which do not exceed two or three hours are generally not so fatiguing that they must be prohibited, provided the individual is perfectly well. Traveling by boat is less tiresome than traveling by rail and, if equally convenient, the boat should be given the preference. Long automobile tours are attended with considerable risk of miscarriage and, therefore, are forbidden.

Mental Diversion. As a rule good health prevails throughout pregnancy; it would be enjoyed even more frequently if many prospective mothers did not think so much about the fact that they are pregnant. For this deplorable self-consciousness the spirit of the age is in part to blame; there never was a time, in all probability, when people took such a keen interest in all matters pertaining to health. It is also true, however, that fuller instruction is needed now because the temptations to depart from a regular, temperate way of living have notably increased.

At all events the point has now been reached where the average man or woman knows something of anatomy, physiology, and the laws of hygiene. Such knowledge should be helpful, and generally is, but if it causes anyone to think incessantly about the workings of the body, to that person it is detrimental. We all know such individuals. They are made miserable because they scrutinize functions, like the beating of the heart, that go on automatically and should be left unobserved, or they minutely analyze their feelings and misinterpret normal sensations as the evidence of disease.

The tendency to be introspective is especially pronounced in women who are pregnant, and this is readily explained by the reciprocal relations between the mind and the body. If the prospective mother correctly interpreted the changes which occur in her body, as well as the sensations for which these changes are responsible, she would escape the uneasiness of mind that causes many sorts of discomfort. It is unfortunately true, however, that her lack of familiarity with the facts about pregnancy and her belief in unfounded traditions frequently lead to the misinterpretation of natural conditions. An anxious frame of mind also causes real ailments to assume an importance out of all proportion to their actual significance.

Patients who have followed my advice to place themselves in the care of a physician as soon as they clearly recognize the existence of pregnancy will receive his assistance in properly estimating the significance of what they notice. This service is by no means the least the obstetrician renders his patients. His opinion should always be sought when symptoms are not understood; but it is not unusual for patients to bring to the doctor's attention many complaints that would pass unnoticed if they taught themselves to restrain the imagination, to refrain from pessimistic reflections, and to divert their thoughts from themselves to outside affairs.

Generally it is during the early months of pregnancy that patients are most likely to be self-centered, and consequently suffer from many annoyances that either proceed from or are exaggerated by this faulty frame of mind. During this period a prospective mother is not fully aware of the meaning of pregnancy. Toward the twentieth week, however, she perceives the movements of the child and her thoughts are turned to it instinctively. About this time many of the discomforts of pregnancy disappear and there ensues a period of unusually good health. Perhaps it would be going too far to give this more wholesome altruistic mental attitude the entire credit for the relatively better health of the second half of pregnancy, but without doubt it is a most important factor.

Such then is the influence of the mind over the body that anyone who wishes to cultivate good health must correct the faulty habit of always thinking of herself. The most suitable form of diversion will depend upon personal taste. Domestic duties absorb the attention of most prospective mothers, but domestic duties should not occupy them exclusively. Outdoor recreation is necessary and serves the double purpose of strengthening mind and body. Public amusements should also be patronized; no prospective mother has the right to sacrifice herself to pride. Music, the various arts, a systematic course of reading, the acquisition of a foreign language - all these are commendable forms of diversion, and others will occur to anyone. Obviously the avocation will be most happily chosen if it directs the attention into channels likely to lead to the greatest pleasure.