"We must educate our daughters, to think that motherhood is grand, and that God never cursed it. And this curse, if it be curse, may be rolled off, as man has rolled away the curse of labour; as the curse has been rolled from the descendants of Ham. My mission is to preach this new gospel. If you suffer, it is not because you are cursed. What an incubus it would take from woman could she be educated to know that the pains of maternity are no curse upon her kind. We know that amoung the 'Indians' the 'Squaws' do not suffer at childbirth. They will step aside from the ranks, even on the march, and return in a short time to them with a newborn child.
What an absurdity than to suppose that only enlightened Christian women are cursed. But one word of fact is worth a thousand of philosophy; let me give you some of my own experience. I am the mother of seven children. My girlhood was spent mostly in the open air. I early imbibed the idea that a girl was worth just as much as a boy, and I carried it out. I would walk five miles before breakfast or ride ten on horseback. After I was married I wore my clothing sensibly. Their weight hung entirely on my shoulders. I never compressed my body out of it's natural shape.
When my first four children were born, I suffered very little. I then made up my mind that it was totally unnecessary for me to suffer at all; so I dressed lightly, walked everyday, lived as much as possible in the open air, ate no condiments or spices, kept quiet, listened to music, looked at pictures, and took proper care of myself.
The night before the birth of the child I walked three miles. The child was born without a particle of pain. I bathed it and dressed it, and it weighed ten and one half pounds. The same day I dined with the family. Everybody said I would surely die; but I never had a relapse of a moment's inconvenience from it. I know this is not being delicate and refined, but if you would be vigorous and healthy, in spite of the diseases of your ancestors, and your own disregard of nature's laws; try it".
2. FOOLISHLY IDLE - At least it is certain that they should not be foolishly idle; and on the other hand, it is equally certain that they should be relieved of painful labourious occupations that exhaust and unfit them for happiness. Pleasant and useful physical and intellectual occupation, however, will not only do no harm, but positive good.
3. THE BEST MAN AND THE BEST WOMAN - The best man is he who can rear the best child, and the best woman is she who can rear the best child. How much more should we sing praises to the man and woman who bring into the world a noble boy or girl.
2. IMPREGNATION - Impregnation is the only mission of intercourse, and after that has taken place, intercourse can subserve no other purpose than sexual gratification.
3. WOMEN MUST JUDGE - Every man should recognize the fact that the woman is the sole umpire, as to when, how frequent, and under what circumstances connection should take place. Her desires should not be ignored, for her likes and dislikes are easily impressed upon the unborn child. If she is strong and healthy there is no reason why passion should not be gratified with moderation and caution during the whole period of pregnancy, but she must be the sole judge and her desires supreme.
4. VOLUNTARY INSTANCES - No voluntary incidences occur throughout the entire animal kingdom. All females repel with force and fierceness the approaches of the male. The human family is the only exception. A man that loves his wife, however, will respect her under all circumstances and recognize her condition and yield to her wishes.
5. SAYS DR. STOCKHAM - "One potent cause of morning sickness is the habit of entering upon the sexual relation frequently during gestation. By this means excess of blood in the reproduction organs as well as exhaustion of the nerve supply is produced. By reflex action nausea is the result..."
2. EVIDENCE - Many evidences are found in ancient history, especially amoung the refined nations, showing that certain expedients were resorted to by which their females, during the period of utero-gestation, were surrounded by the superior refinements of the age, with the hope of thus making upon them the impressions which should have the effect of communicating certain desired qualities onto the offspring.
3. BEGIN TO EDUCATE CHILDREN AT CONCEPTION - and continue during their entire carriage. Yet maternal study, of little account before the sixth, after it, is most promotive of talents; which next to goodness of the father's joy and the mother's pride. What pains are taken after they are born to render them prodegies of learning, by the best of schools and teachers from their third year; whereas their mother's study, three months before their birth, would improve their intellects infinitely more.
4. MOTHERS DOES GOD BUT PUT - the endowment of your darlings into your moulding power? Then tremble in view of it's necessary responsibilities, and learn how to wield them for their and your temporal and eternal happiness.
5. QUALITIES OF THE MIND - The qualities of the mind are perhaps as much liable to hereditary transmission as bodily configuration. Memory, intelligence, judgement, imagination, passions, diseases, and what is usually called genious, are often very markedly traced in the offspring.
6. THE PLASTIC BRAIN - The plastic brain of the fetus if prompt to receive all impressions. It retains them, and they become the characterisitcs of the child and the man. Low spirits, violent passions, irritability, frivolity, in the pregnant woman, leave indelible marks on the unborn child.
7. FORMATION OF CHARACTER - I beleive that pre-natal influences do as much for the formation of character as all the education that can come after, and the mothers may, in a measure, "will", what the influence shall be, and that, as knowledge on the subject increases, it will be more and more under their control.
8. A HISTORICAL ILLUSTRATION - A woman rode side by side with her soldier husband, and witnessed the drilling of troops for battle. The scene inspired her with a deep longing to see a battle and share in the excitements of the conquerors. This was but a few months before her boy was born, and his name was Napolean.
9. A MUSICIAN - The following was reported by Dr. F.W. Moffat, as told by one of his female patients: "When I was first pregnant, I wished my offspring to be a musician, so during the period of the pregnancy, settled my mind on music and attended every musical entertainment, I possibly could. I had my husband, who has a violin, to play for me by the hour. When the child was born, it was a girl, which grew and prospered and finally became an expert musician." (of course, having a father who was one didn't hurt either)
10. MURDEROUS INTENT - The mother of a young lad who was hung not long ago, was heard to say "I tried to get rid of him before he was born, and oh, how I wish I would have succeeded." Does it seem possible that the murderous intent, though only of a short duration, was communicatd to the mind of the child, and resulted in the crime for which he was hung?
11. CAUTION - Any attempt on the part of the mother to destroy her child before birth, is liable, if unsuccessful. to produce murderous tendencies. Even harbouring murderous thoughts, whether toward her own child or not, might be followed by simlar results.
2. MOVEMENT - The first movement is gernally felt on the 135th day after impregnation.
3. GROWTH OF THE EMBRYO - About the 20th day the embyo resembles the appearance of an ant or lettuce seed; the 30th day, the embryo is as large as a common horse fly; the 40th day the form resembles that of a person; in 60 days the limbs begin to form, and in four months, the embryo takes the shape of a fetus.
4. Children born after seven or eight months can survive and develop to maturity.
