Obstetrics for NursesReed, Charles B. (Charles Bert)
Science
Obstetrics for Nurses
Reed, Charles B. (Charles Bert)
Maternity nursing
=The Breasts=.—There should be no pressure on the glands and they should
be warmly covered. The nipples must be kept clean and soft by soap and
water, and about a month before the labor is expected, the nipple should
be anointed with albolene or cocoanut oil and rubbed and pulled for a
few minutes every night. This removes the crusts and dried secretions
that collect on the nipple and prepare it for the macerating action of
the baby’s mouth. No alcohol or strongly astringent washes should be
used. Injuries must be avoided. If the nipples become tender they may be
protected from external irritation by the lead nipple shield or by a
wooden shield with a hollow center, such as Williams recommends.
=Leucorrhœa.=—This is one of the commonest discomforts of pregnancy, and
the sense of uncleanliness, if the discharge is excessive, as well as
the resulting irritation, may demand attention. It must be kept in mind,
however, that the normal vaginal discharge of a healthy pregnant woman
is strongly germicidal and should not be douched away without definite
indications.
Vaginal douches of warm boric acid solution will do for cleanliness, but
the douche bag must not be higher than the waist. Stronger and more
antiseptic solutions are potassium permanganate 1:5000, or chinosol
1:1000. A suppository may be used, consisting of extract belladonna, gr.
ss; tannic acid, gr. v, and boroglyceride dr. ss.
=Sexual intercourse= is distasteful to most pregnant women, but
sometimes the inclination is intensified.
Coitus often causes much pelvic discomfort and may be an influential
factor in producing abortion. It should be forbidden during the early
months, at all menstrual epochs, and for at least two weeks before
labor. The uterus may be infected by germs beneath the foreskin and
hæmorrhage may follow the act if the placenta is low. In healthy
persons, at the instance of the female, intercourse in moderation is
permissible.
=The mental condition= should be placid without either excitement or
fatigue. Anxiety should be dissipated by cheerful company and
surroundings. Judicious amusement is desirable and a congenial
occupation, but neighbors who tell frightful tales of disaster in labor,
or nurses who relate the details of their critical cases, are equally to
be avoided.
Many women of neurotic temperament dread the labor desperately. They are
sure that death impends and they dwell with tragic interest on the
stories of complicated cases related by thoughtless or malicious
neighbors. The nurse can do much to allay these apprehensions by
cheerfulness, optimism, and gentleness. Her buoyant temperament will
drive away the patient’s fears just as effectively as the assurances of
the physician.
Great allowances must be made for attacks of irritability, for the
changes going on in the woman’s pelvis keep her in a capricious and
whimsical condition. A good book to read at this time is, the
“Prospective Mother,” by Slemons.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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