The Ailments of Pregnancy : Part 3

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

(Page 10 of 18)

Once it has developed, heartburn will be aggravated by taking cream or olive oil. The most rational curative measures then consist in diluting the acid by drinking a couple of glasses of water and in counteracting (neutralizing) the acid by taking a teaspoonful of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) or a tablespoonful of limewater; and, if necessary, either of these doses may be repeated. Patients often adopt the very sensible habit of carrying with them a block of magnesium carbonate, which they nibble whenever the symptom appears.

Flatulence. The distention of stomach and intestines with gas, technically called flatulence, may be associated with heartburn or appear independently. The gas arises from the action of bacteria upon the food. There can be little doubt that flatulence occurs so regularly during pregnancy because the pressure of the enlarged womb prevents the contents of the intestine from moving along as rapidly as they have done previously.

To be relieved from this source of discomfort, it is necessary, in the first place, that the bowels should be regularly evacuated; very often nothing further is required than to overcome the habit of constipation. Occasionally, however, the diet must be arranged so as to exclude food which is likely to form gas. For example, parsnips, beans, corn, fried food, candy, cake, and sweet desserts, all of which are known to cause flatulence, should be avoided; in aggravated cases the allowance of starchy food of every kind should be cut down to small portions.

Since the production of gas in the intestine is due to the action of bacteria sometimes relief from flatulence is secured only after the administration of intestinal antiseptics. Drugs, however, will be prescribed by the physician, and will not be employed until the simpler hygienic measures have failed. Similarly, the physician should decide whether it is advisable for the patient to drink milk inoculated with harmless bacteria (The Bulgarian Bacillus) which has lately been placed on the market. The bacteria thus administered in the milk are antagonistic to the intestinal bacteria that produce gas, and consequently have been recommended for the treatment of flatulence. If this commercial product cannot be conveniently obtained, one may use instead tablets containing the bacteria, which can be supplied by druggists.

Defective Teeth. Unless suitable precautions are observed, the digestive disturbances of pregnancy have a tendency to injure the teeth. The regurgitation of the acid contents of the stomach, for example, may cause cavities to develop or may enlarge those that already exist. In all probability the damage done in this way - and not the removal of lime from the teeth for the formation of the child's skeleton, as some have thought - is responsible for the origin of the saying that "every child costs a tooth." This notion is of course absurd, yet it is quite true that toothache and the decay or loosening of the teeth are not infrequently associated with pregnancy. On this account, throughout the period of pregnancy particular care should be given the teeth.

One of the very first duties of a prospective mother, after she knows that conception has taken place, is to visit her dentist. This step is very important as a means of insuring the teeth against such harmful influence as pregnancy may have upon them. If the dentist finds the teeth in poor condition, the patient should consent to have them treated immediately. That this is the reasonable course seems sufficiently obvious, yet the majority of women have been slow to adopt such a view.

For a long time dental work of every description was incorrectly believed to have an untoward effect upon the development of the child; and the extraction of a tooth, it was thought, would surely be followed by miscarriage. Although the extraction of teeth is not frequently undertaken nowadays, I have known several prospective mothers who required the operation, and who had it performed without experiencing a single untoward symptom. Very naturally dental work should be restricted during pregnancy to that which is absolutely necessary, and temporary fillings generally suffice; but whatever is needed should be done without delay.

Brushing the teeth after meals and removing particles of food that may have been caught between them - important enough at all times - are of even greater importance during pregnancy. If the gums are sore and the teeth show a tendency to loosen, the best tooth-paste is one containing potassium chlorate.

An alkaline mouth-wash should be used several times a day; after an attack of vomiting it is always advisable to rinse the mouth with such a solution. As a wash either lime water or milk of magnesia, or a solution of bicarbonate of soda may be used; they are equally good. Lime water may be prepared at home inexpensively in the following way: Place a teacupful of builders' lime in a large bowl and add two quarts of water; thoroughly mix and allow to settle. Pour off and throw the water away, since it often contains impurities. Add two quarts of water again and allow the mixture to stand three or four hours, stirring occasionally. Strain through a piece of muslin into bottles and keep well corked. One tablespoonful of this solution should be added to a glass of water to obtain the proper strength for a mouth-wash.

Pressure Symptoms. Because human beings walk erect, and not on all fours, they are liable to suffer from various ailments of pregnancy that quadrupeds escape. Thus the upright posture is the chief factor, at least, in causing such complaints as swollen feet, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and cramps in the legs. The attention of patients should be called to the source of these troubles, for in most instances they can be prevented by forethought and prudence.