S PROPER
PLACE?--LACERATIONS, THEIR MEANING AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE--THE
ADVANTAGE OF AN EXAMINATION SIX WEEKS AFTER THE CONFINEMENT--THE
PHYSICIAN WHO DOES NOT TELL ALL OF THE TRUTH

REGARDING THE MORE OR LESS PREVALENT DREAD OR FEAR OF CHILDBIRTH.--Much has
been written, and much more could be written upon this subject. Inasmuch as
this book is largely intended for prospective mothers to read and profit
thereby, and is not for physicians and nurses whose actual acquaintance
with confinement work would render such comments superfluous, it will not
be out of place to consider this phase of the subject briefly, from a
medical standpoint. When one considers that "a child is born every minute"
as the saying goes, and which is approximately true, and at the same time
remembers that statistics prove, as near as can be estimated, that there is
only one death of a mother in twenty thousand confinements, it would really
seem as though we were "looking for trouble" to even regard the subject as
worthy of the smallest consideration. It is much more dangerous to ride
five miles on a railroad, or on a street car, or even take a two-mile
walk,--the percentage possibility of accident is decidedly in your favor to
stay at home and have a baby. Almost any disease you can mention has a
higher, a much higher fatality percentage than the risks run by a [112]
pregnant woman. The real justification for actual fear of serious trouble
is so small that it barely exists. These are facts that cannot be argued
away by any specious if or and. Why, therefore, should there be any real
fear?

Did you ever hear of the remarks made by a famous philosopher who was given
a dinner by his friends in celebration of his 85th birthday? In replying to
the eulogisms of his friends he said in part:

"As I look back into those blessed years that have faded away, I can recall
a lot of troubles and many worries as well as much happiness and pleasure,
and thinking of it all this evening I can truthfully say my worst troubles
and worries never happened."

So it is with the woman who for weeks or months has made her own life
wretched, and possibly the life of her husband and friends, the same in
imagining all kinds of dreadful things that never take place. It is
undoubtedly an exhibition of weakness, an evidence of failure in the
development of self-control. Childbirth is a natural process,--there is
nothing mysterious about it. If you do your part y