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THE HEALTH OF BARKING
Today, there 17 midwives practising in Barking and 11 of them are employed
in your midwifery scheme. The nature of attendance on mothers over the last
few years is shown in Table V, Appendix B.
Ante-Natal Service. Today, ante-natal clinics are held in five centres thrice
weekly and, in addition, an evening clinic is held weekly at the Upney Clinic for
mothers who cannot conveniently attend afternoon sessions.
At the very start of her ante-natal care examination is carried out to see whether
the future mother's health is sound enough in all respects to carry the extra burden
of pregnancy. At the same time steps are taken to ascertain her social circumstances
and to decide whether the baby should be born at home or in hospital; and to make
sure she understands all that she is entitled to, such as insurance, rations, including
milk and vitamins, extra sheets in some cases and so on.
At her later visits her general health will be supervised, minor ailments will be
treated and she will be taught about how she should care for herself. Taught, for
example, that bathing should not be in water which is too hot; that her teeth need
especial care at this time ; that all that is needed for the care of the breasts is that they
should be washed daily with the rest of the body; that clothing should be loose and
should hang from the shoulders ; that garters should not be worn, as should not
high heeled shoes (about 1½ inches is right) and that she should take a walk in the
open every day.
Pain in Childbirth. During ante-natal visits it is most important to get the
patient to adopt a healthy attitude towards the confinement so that she looks forward
to it as the climax of a time of happy preparation which will bring forth her baby and
not dread it as a terrible ordeal. I don't mean to say that mothers don't often suffer
great pain in childbirth, but this pain is largely due to excessive 'wind up' which
makes them clench every muscle in the body and this, of course, prevents the
natural passages from opening up and stops the baby being born. Under these
circumstances, when the womb is pushing the baby out and the mother is
holding the baby in, is it to be wondered that suffering is caused ?
This is a matter in which mothers, and grandmothers, can help a lot, for if those
who have had a 'bad time' themselves for this reason go round telling expectant
mothers that they must be prepared to suffer the pains of the damned then even
placid healthy girls will panic and screw themselves up so that the same thing
happens to them. I am sorry to say that people not only do this but do it with
apparent relish. Mothers will do it to their daughters—could anything be more
cruel?
It will be seen that a great advance in painless childbirth can be made by the
mothers themselves. Let us then regard it as a social sin, a breach of good manners
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