The Physical Life of Woman: Advice to the Maiden, Wife and MotherNapheys, George H. (George Henry)
Science
The Physical Life of Woman: Advice to the Maiden, Wife and Mother
Napheys, George H. (George Henry)
Women -- Health and hygiene
Towards the end of pregnancy the wife should economize her forces. She
should not remain long standing or kneeling, nor sing in either of these
postures.
BATHING.
Those who have not been accustomed to bathing should not begin the
practice during pregnancy, and in any case great care should be
exercised during the latter months. It is better to preserve cleanliness
by sponging with tepid water than by entire baths. Foot-baths are always
dangerous. Sea-bathing sometimes causes miscarriage, but sea air and the
sponging of the body with salt water are beneficial. The shower-bath is
of course too great a shock to the system, and a very warm bath is too
relaxing. In some women of a nervous temperament, a lukewarm bath taken
occasionally at night during pregnancy has a calming influence. This is
especially the case in the first and last month. But women of a
lymphatic temperament and of a relaxed habit of body are always injured
by the bath.
VENTILATION.
We have spoken of the benefits of outdoor air during pregnancy.
Attention should also be directed to keeping the atmosphere in the
sitting and sleeping rooms of the house fresh. This can only be
accomplished by constantly changing it. The doors and windows of every
room, while unoccupied, should be kept thrown open in the summer-time,
and opened sufficiently often in the winter to wash out the apartments
several times a day with fresh air. The extremes of heat and cold are
to be, with equal care, avoided. The house should be kept light. Young
plants will not grow well in the dark. Neither will the young child nor
its mother flourish without sunlight. The ancients were so well aware of
this, that they constructed on the top of each house a solarium, or
solar air-bath, where they basked daily, in thin attire, in the direct
rays of the sun.
SLEEP.
During pregnancy a large amount of sleep is required. It has a sedative
influence upon the disturbed nervous system of the mother. It favors, by
the calmness of all the functions which attends it, the growth of the
fœtus. Neither the pursuit of pleasure in the evening, nor the
observance of any trite maxims in regard to early rising in the morning,
should be allowed to curtail the hours devoted to slumber. Pregnant
women have an instinctive desire to lie abed late, which, like the other
promptings of nature during this period, should not be disregarded. At
least eight hours out of the twenty-four can be profitably spent in bed.
No night-watching ought ever to be undertaken during pregnancy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account