Sometimes labor is so
protracted that the child dies and at other times the baby is so large
that it can not be born naturally. The mother's suffering is frequently
very great. In fact, it is at times so great that it is like a
threatening storm cloud to many women, and some of them refuse to become
mothers for this reason.
Babies born of normal mothers, who have lived moderately on a
non-stimulating diet during gestation, are small. They rarely weigh more
than six pounds. Their bones are flexible. The skull can easily be
moulded because the bones are very cartilaginous. The result is that
childbirth is rapid and practically devoid of pain. However, there are
very few normal mothers, and consequently normal babies are also rare.
A heavy baby is never healthy. Its growth has been forced by excessive
maternal feeding. It is no hardier than other growing things which
result from hot-house methods. Such babies show early signs of catarrhal
afflictions, indigestion or skin disease. Their bodies are filled with
poisons before they are born.
Mothers who overeat invariably overfeed their babies. And why should
they do otherwise? Family, friends and physicians give the same advice:
The mother must eat much to be able to feed the child, and the child
must be fed frequently in order to grow.
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