Pregnancy not an Unnatural but a Normal State.—Tendency to Neglect Hygienic Rules.—Morning Sickness.—How to Correct it.—Important Questions of Diet.—Displaced Uterus as Cause of Nausea.—Mental States.—Companionship.—Various Gastric Troubles.—Insomnia.—Hysteria.—Constipation and How to Correct it.—Longings.—Self-control.—With Proper Care, as a Rule All Goes Well.

There are several distressing ailments which afflict the pregnant woman, and which are too often by the uninformed considered a necessity, hence nothing is done for them. Leavitt has said wisely, “The general health is already frequently disturbed, and the system in an enfeebled state, when pregnancy is established. The woman at once enters on the trying experiences of early gestation—attributing nearly all her symptoms to the physiological changes being wrought in her organism. Viewing them also as, in great measure essential features of her condition,[148] she is prone to neglect proper attention to hygienic rules.”

Another mistake is too frequently made by the women, and indulged by the physician, namely, considering the pregnant state a pathological, diseased, or unnatural condition, in every instance, while it should be in the majority of cases purely a physiological, natural and healthy condition. True, woman is not exempt during pregnancy from the various ills that assail her sex, and the human family as a whole; but that every ailment with which she is assailed should be attributed to her condition is a mistake, and a greater mistake is to neglect proper treatment for these ills.

The morning sickness is one of the most common and troublesome ailments of the parturient, and one which is most often neglected. But it is likewise one which can be controlled in the majority of instances. Do not neglect it, but see to it at once. Plenty of exercise in the open air, well-aired sleeping rooms, pleasant surroundings and suitable food go far to mitigate this ill, but the doctor will need to be consulted at times. The diet of women suffering from morning sickness, should be regulated, and nothing deleterious to her allowed. Often the aggravated ailment[149] can be traced to vagaries of appetite, which have been foolishly indulged, which corrected, and a reasonable diet substituted, will do much to aid the cure. Often a few mouthfuls of food or a cup of coffee taken in the morning before rising will prove of decided benefit, and should be tried before medicines are resorted to.

The false notion that the pregnant woman “must eat for two,” and so proceed to indulge her appetite to the utmost, should be corrected. The appetite should be kept under in pregnancy as carefully as at any other time, and rather than otherwise, more care be taken in the selection of food, and regularity of meals.

Leavitt recommends as articles specially suited to the earlier months of pregnancy, the following:—“Mutton-broth, chicken-broth, oysters, clams and fish. When they have heretofore agreed, the following may also be eaten: beef, mutton, chicken, game, eggs, stale bread, oat meal, rice, baked potatoes, spinach, macaroni, greens, celery, green peas, lettuce, asparagus, oranges, grapes, and stewed fruit. Desserts should in most instances be avoided.”

These do not of course include all the harmless articles, and a simple and comprehensive[150] rule is this: any article of food that is hygienic and does not disagree may be partaken of with impunity.

Sometimes the nausea may be due to other causes than those exciting simple nausea. If it is persistent and aggravated a displaced uterus may be the cause. This when corrected will effect a cure like magic.

In the later months of pregnancy the nausea, if any, is due to another cause than that which excites it in the earlier months. Compression and a changed character of the secretions, are the exciting causes at this time, yet even here attention to diet will do much toward correcting the distress. “At this period all articles of food which will increase the fermentative action, so easily set up, ought to be avoided. Such are mainly those containing starch, sugar and fat.”

The mental state of the woman needs careful attention as well as the physical. Among the early Greeks a pregnant woman was held so much in reverence that she was guarded almost sacredly, and shielded from all p............