Pulsatilla3.
-Nausea after eating; vomiting of food; heart-burn eructations, acid, bitter, or with taste of food; craving for acids, whitish-coated tongue; persons of mild disposition.
Petrol.3.
-When the nausea is constant; vomiting of food.
Constipation.- This is a common accompaniment of pregnancy, and often arises from a mechanical cause, pressure of the uterus on the lower bowel.
General Treatment.-Active open-air exercise is the best remedy in general. The patient should drink freely of cold water, and eat fruit, ripe or cooked.
Medicines.-See under CONSTIPATION, especially Nux v., Bryonia, Lycopodium, Opium, and Sulph.
Diarrhoea is an occasional occurrence, but is much less frequent than constipation.
General Treatment.-Whilst it continues, hot drinks, beef-tea, fruit, or vegetables must be avoided. Milk with or without lime- water, white of egg beat up, arrow-root and farinaceous diet must be adhered to For Medicines, see indications under DIARRHOEA.
False Pains.-When the uterus begins to have contractions before the proper time comes, these are called “False pains,” to distinguish them from the real labour pains, which do the work of expelling the child. It is only when they come several weeks before the term that they are morbid. For a week or two before the birth there may be contractions (or “pains, ” as they are called) which are really preparatory to the final effort. IT is only when they are severe, and interfere with rest, that they require treatment.
Medicines.-(Every few hour)
Secale 3
Pulsatilla3.
-In fair, gentle dispositioned women.
Actea rac.3.
-When they are accompanied with severe headache.
Headache and Vertigo.-About the fourth or fifth week of pregnancy it is common for women to have giddiness, fulness, or pain in the head. With the headache there is weight at the top and back of the head, and down the neck, palpitation of the heart, nervousness, trembling. The symptoms are usually worse in the morning.
Medicines.-(Every two or three hours until relieved)
Aconite3.
-Plethoric women of florid complexion; giddiness, as if intoxicated, on rising from a seat; faintness and blindness on rising form a recumbent position; determination of blood to the head.
Bell.3.
-Congestion to the head, vertigo, staggering, trembling, intolerance of noise; heaviness and pressure, pain on the top of the head, or in the forehead over the eyes; sense of expansion of the neck, palpitation, throbbing of the arteries of the neck;red face; sparks before the eyes; objects appear double.
Nux v.6.
-Sedentary women of hasty temper, addicted to wine or coffee. Symptoms worse in the morning, better in the open air. Giddiness with feeling of confusion in the head; sight cloudy;buzzing in the ears; pains tearing, drawing, or jerking, or periodical pains; constipation; insipid, acid, bitter or putrid taste.
Pulsatilla 3.
-Women of mild disposition. Giddiness worse after stooping, with momentary blindness and staggering, shuddering and shooting pains in the head; one-sided headaches;headaches every other day. Sometimes there is numbness, worse in the afternoon and evenings.
Sulph. 6.
-Congestion of blood to the head;beating pains and heat in the head. Vertigo and staggering, especially when seated or after meals, with nausea, Fainting, weakness, and bleeding from the nose; confusion of the head, worse morning and evening One sided headache, headache at the top of the head, back of the head, forehead, over the eyes, with dim sight. Sinking sensation, with flushes of heat to the heat;cold feet. Pains worse by movement, walking in the open air, and by meditation.
Inching or Pruritus.-This is a not uncommon affection, and very distressing; it affects the mucous membrane of the parts. At times it occurs without an eruption, at times there is an eruption like thrush in infants; sometimes there is oozing of a thin watery secretion.
General Treatment.- Wash the parts frequently with warm water. To the water may be added a little borax(a teaspoonful to the pint) or a little lemon juice.
Medicines.-(Two or three times a day)
Pulsatilla3.
-In women of the pulsatilla type, fair, or mild disposition, and easily moved to tears.
Lycopodium6. -When there is constipation, flatulence, and sandy urine.
Mercurius6.
-When there is a thrush-like eruption.
Sulph.6.
-In obstinate cases, patient subject to eruptions.
Mental Disturbance.-It is not uncommon for women to become altered in temper and disposition during the pregnant state. They are frequently affected with low spirits and despondency, and are certain they will never get over their labour. When the time comes they forget all about it, and it does not come back after delivery.
General Treatment.-The woman ought to have cheerful surroundings and plenty of fresh air and exercise.
Medicines.-(Every few hours)
Aconite3.
-If a fright has been the occasion of it, and if fear of death is the most pre-eminent symptom.
Belladonna3.
-Great agitation and restlessness at night; fear of ghosts; fear and disposition to run away and hide; involuntary laughter;disposition to laugh or sing or fall into a passion and rave; frightful visions.
Pulsatilla3.
-Depression, with sadness and weeping, and uneasiness in the pit of the stomach: sleeplessness; she imagines herself to be oppressed with a multitude of cares; dislike to conversation; headache and heart-burn.
Sulph.6.
-Low spirits, great anxiety on the subject of religion;despair of eternal salvation;forgetfulness of proper names, and of words when about to speak them; disposition to get angry.
Miscarriage- A pregnancy may terminate at any period short of the proper term, and then it is called a “miscarriage” or “abortion,” though the latter term is usually employed only in those cases which occur within the first three months. “Miscarriage” is used when it occurs at any part of the term before the period when the child may possibly be born alive and live-that is, within seven months. In medical language it is sometimes, but not always, restricted to the period between the third and the seventh months. A delivery after the middle of the seventh month, and before the proper time, is called a “premature birth.”These terms are purely arbitrary, and have no inherent significance, and I shall speak of all premature terminations of pregnancy under the term “miscarriage.” The period at which miscarriage most commonly occurs is form the eight to the twelfth week. It is usually accompanied with a great deal of pain and loss, but is not in itself dangerous unless it recurs often. Late miscarriages are more serious. The most common of all causes of miscarriage are sudden straining, falls blows, or over-exertion of some kind.
Next after the mechanical cause are sudden emotions-frights and starts. Then come over-indulgence in improper articles of diet, stimulating food and drink, and the abuse of purgative drugs. Criminal interference with pregnancy must not be forgotten.
Symptoms.-A miscarriage is generally preceded by bearing-down pains, severe pains in the body and back, discharge of mucus and blood; with this discharge the foetus and its membranes pass away.
Women who have miscarried once are very liable to do so again, every fresh miscarriage tending to increase the liability.
General Treatment.-All attempts to interfere with the normal progress of pregnancy, except for medical or surgical considerations and under expert advice, are strongly to be reprehended. In cases where the mother is in a state of health, as from heart-disease, making child-bearing a danger to life, the pregnancy may be terminated under proper surgical precautions. The woman who doses herself with strong drugs, or allows other means to be used is in great danger of bringing on herself lifelong pain, discomfort, and loss of health, if not loss of life.
In all cases of threatened miscarriage the patient should immediately lie down, and remain lying down until the danger is past. If the miscarriage has taken place she must still keep lying down to allow the womb to return to its natural size, and to prevent further bleeding from its surface. The neglect of this is the cause of endless trouble in the way of displacements and all their attendant miseries. If there is much bleeding, all warm drinks must be stopped until it has ceased. The general diet will be as advised under CHILDBIRTH.
Medicines.-(When used as prophylactic, two or three times a day; when used whilst the miscarriage is actually threatening, every half-hour.) When the miscarriage is inevitable suitable medicines will assuage the pains and favour the natural process. In the next pregnancy the patient must be extremely careful at the corresponding period, lying down continually, if necessary, and must take the medicine most suited to her general state.
Aconite 3.
-When symptoms arise from a blow, fall, strain, or mechanical injury of any kind.
Secale 3.
-Valuable after the miscarriage, when there is much dark blood and few pains; useful in debilitated persons.
Ipecac.3.
-Spasms, faintness, nausea, vomiting;profuse discharge of bright-red blood, downward pressure, cutting pains round the navel.
