A healthy woman will be guided by intuition as to the selection of food suited to her condition. Unfortunately, only a few women are properly matured in these days of forced education and unnatural occupations for young girls during the age of puberty.
The craving of pregnant women for pickles, spices and certain fruits out of season indicates an anemic condition. The individual longs for an article, of which her mind is most conscious, to bring about satisfaction.
Pregnant women require a larger amount of phosphates, lime and other minerals in their food, especially during the first four months. The amount of food taken should be rather less in quantity; and the starches and sweets should be cut down as much as possible, unless the mother has to perform a large amount of physical work.
Vomiting during the early months of pregnancy is generally due to excess of starches and indigestible foodstuffs. The eliminating organs not being able to throw off the excess of waste, the system rids itself of it through the effort of the liver, before the waste enters the blood stream.
A suitable diet depends much upon the constitution of the mother. In severe cases of vomiting or headache, a diet should be prescribed by a physician.
This is another important period for the welfare of the mother as well as of the infant. Improper feeding during the first month after the child is born is responsible for many nervous breakdowns of the mother, at the time when she should be in the best of health and ready to take charge of her infant. A healthy new born infant can stand an enormous amount of abuse in the matter of feeding before it is sent to an early grave, or before the foundation is laid for a life of long suffering.
The mother’s milk during the first month of the infant’s life is richer in cream and sugar than in the later months. Therefore, such foods should be given as yield these elements to the milk. The mother herself, having expended a large amount of energy, demands a food rich in lime, fats, sugar and organic salts. The physiological enlargement of the abdominal organs must be treated with great care.
As a rule, no food is required during the first few hours except water. In exceptional cases where the mother is greatly exhausted, a glass of fresh milk or some warm stimulating food may be served.
The food during the first four days should consist largely of strained water gruels, prepared from steel cut oats and bran, or from rolled wheat or cream of wheat. Stewed prunes, toast, soft boiled eggs or other egg foods should be served once per day at the noon meal. Fresh milk is best given during the afternoon or evening or at 10 a. m. A slice of toast may be served with it. If the milk of the mother is scanty, serve water gruels several times per day. If the mother has too much milk, fluid foods should be restricted and a dry diet adopted. After the fourth day add rice, baked potatoes, fish and a small amount of meat to the diet. Avoid drinking milk or other liquid food, except a little water with the dinner. If milk or broth is desired, take it at the beginning of the meal. Avoid artificially prepared desserts at the end of the meal. Use oranges or grapes as desserts, or a little black coffee and toast.
1. Three-fourths of a pint of barley gruel with or without cream, 2 crusts.
2. Eight ounces of cornmeal mush with egg and dried fruit. 4 ounces of hot cream. 2 crusts.
3. Stewed or soaked French prunes with whole wheat bread and butter. 10 ounces of bran tea or Kneipp’s malt coffee with cream and milk-sugar.
4. One pint of bran and oatmeal gruel with butter, soaked French prunes, 2 black crusts.
5. Eight ounces of fresh raw or boiled milk with 3 ounces of barley water and a slice of toast.
6. Rice flour with egg and currants and hot cream and 2 crusts.
7. Rylax with hot cream, soaked prunes or raisins.
8. Bread soup with hot cream, soaked prunes or raisins.
9. Rice with hot cream and soaked prunes or raisins.
10. Malt coffee with toast and butter. Soft boiled eggs.
1. Cream toast, light rice, or cornmeal with egg.
2. Soup of asparagus or green peas with toast.
3. Soft boiled eggs with toast, baked apple.
4. Cream of bean or lentil soup, bread and butter.
5. Broth with egg. Fish with baked potatoes, apple sauce with toast and butter.
6. Spinach with boiled eggs and bacon. Bread and butter.
7. Barley soup with crackers. Lamb chop with sprouts and yolk of one egg.
8. Chicken soup with rice. Chicken with string beans, stewed prunes.
1. Strained barley or oatmeal gruel with cream.
2. Cream of wheat or farina with cream.
3. Sago or tapioca with cream and zwieback.
4. Malt coffee or bran tea with cream and zwieback.
5. Boiled custard with fruit sauce and zwieback.
6. Cream of pea or lentil soup with celery.
7. Cream toast or shredded wheat with cream.
8. Cream of tomato soup with zwieback and celery.
If food is required between meals, give plain milk, bran tea, or malt coffee with cream and zwieback.