FIGS. 32 to 38 inclusive are bed exercises the young mother. For description see text. (From photographs taken at the Long Island College Hospital.) ] [Illustration: FIG. 33. ] The familiar deep-breathing exercise comes next and is ordinarily started on the third or fourth day. The mother lies flat, with her arms at her sides, then extends them straight out from the shoulders (Fig. 33), raises them above her head, as in Fig. 34, and returns them to their original position. She repeats this exercise ten times morning and evening as long as she is in bed. [Illustration: FIG. 34. ] [Illustration: FIG. 35. ] The one-leg flexion exercises are not taken by mothers who have stitches, but in other cases they are usually started about the fifth day. One thigh is flexed sharply on the abdomen and the foot brought down to the buttocks as in Fig. 35. The leg is then straightened out and lowered to the bed. This is repeated ten times, with each leg, morning and evening, for two or three days. [Illustration: FIG. 36. ] The next exercise sometimes replaces the one-leg-flexion and sometimes it is taken up in addition to it, being started after the former has been done for a day or two, according to the strength of the mother. Both thighs are brought up on the abdomen in this one, as in Fig. 36, but when the legs are straightened the feet are lowered not quite to the bed, as in Fig. 37, before being raised again. This is repeated ten times morning and evening. [Illustration: FIG. 37. ] Then comes the exercise for which the leg-flexions prepare the mother and which are sometimes discontinued when this one is adopted. It is started, as a rule, about the seventh day, or two or three days before the mother gets up. Both legs are slowly raised to a position at right angles to the body, as in Fig. 38, and slowly lowered but not far enough for the heels to touch the bed (see Fig. 37), and the movement repeated. As this exercise requires a good deal of effort it is taken up very gradually, somewhat as follows: The legs are raised once in the morning and twice in the evening of the first day; second day, three times in the morning and four times in the evening; third day, five times in the morning and six times in the evening and so on, if the mother is not fatigued, until the exercise is repeated ten times or more each morning and evening for several months. [Illustration: FIG. 38. ] The =knee chest position= shown in Fig. 39 is intended to prevent a misplacement of the uterus, from which so many women suffer after childbirth. It is usually started about the seventh day and the patient begins by being assisted to that position and keeping it for a moment or two, gradually lengthening the time to about five minutes each morning and evening; this is often continued for two months or more.