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pregnancy-msg - 6/1709

 

Pregnancy in period. Handling it in the SCA.

 

NOTE: See also the files: children-msg, babies-msg, teething-toys-msg, baby-gifts-msg, child-clothes-msg, clothing-MN-msg.

 

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NOTICE -

 

This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I  have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.

 

This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org

 

I  have done  a limited amount  of  editing. Messages having to do  with separate topics  were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the  message IDs  were removed to save space and remove clutter.

 

The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make  no claims  as  to the accuracy  of  the information  given by the individual authors.

 

Please  respect the time  and  efforts of  those who have written  these messages. The  copyright status  of these messages  is  unclear at this time. If  information  is  published  from  these  messages, please give credit to the originator(s).

 

Thank you,

    Mark S. Harris                  AKA:  THLord Stefan li Rous

                                          Stefan at florilegium.org

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Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

From: orilee at xerox.com (Orilee Ireland-Delfs)

Subject: Re: Need Pennsic Info - bring camper?

Organization: Xerox Corporation, Webster NY

Date: Mon, 24 Apr 1995 16:50:58 GMT

 

I attended Pennsic 8 1/2 months pregnant with my second child (she was born

in Sept.) and lived out of our tent as usual.

 

I made sure we had a reasonable proximation of a real bed to

sleep on so I was off the ground and had some padding.  A camp cot works

just fine (kept me from attempting to roll onto my back which was my

biggest problem : )

 

I did not plan on doing much and if I did leave camp it was for

short periods of time (short shopping trips, etc.)

 

Just make sure you are close to a port-a-privy for those midnight

callings!

 

Reasonably comfortable chairs and an understanding going in that

you will take it easy while you are there (wait on her a lot!)

 

Pennsic will consider she has a medical condition and be sure to

note it on her registration at the Gate.

 

You may also wish to discuss the trip with her doctor (mine wasn't

keen on the idea but told me he couldn't tell me not to go).  You will

need to consider adding time to the trip since she shouldn't ride for

more than 2 hours without getting out and walking (and add the extra

potty breaks as well).

 

The only other issues are keeping cool - lots of lightweight full garb -

make sure she has plenty of liquid to drink (water and fruit juice),

eats regularly, and gets plenty of sleep.

 

I must admit that I felt the most in-persona when I was pregnant at the

War!

 

As long as she is healthy and has an uncomplicated pregnancy, she should

do fine even without the camper.

 

(I would also be prepared for the possibility of early delivery with,

at least, her physician's name and phone number as well as any information

on medical conditions or alergies that will affect her delivery).

 

Good luck!

Orianna

 

 

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Need Pennsic Info - bring camper?

From: una at bregeuf.stonemarche.org (Honour Horne-Jaruk)

Date: Sat, 29 Apr 95 15:38:58 EDT

 

cerdic at mcmi.com (david h corson) writes:

> Okay, so some folks do just fine pregnant at the War, but I seem to

> remember almost loosing a friend at PW 13---and the child, due to not

> enough food or liquid.....Alizonde(sp) are you there to comment????

> Anyhow, Please think this through very carefully, we really do not want

> to deal with a birth at the War......

> Elaina of Oaklawn, who uses a bed because at her age the floor is just

> too hard to get up from, and so understands the need for one......

> Elaina, Information Officer, PW24

 

        Respected friend:

        I was Pregnant at pennsic, I did get sick at Pennsic (I get sick

at every Pennsic, I have a chronic illness that does that sort of thing to

people)... but my pregnancy was never in any medical danger. I was

hospitalized _overnight_, for _monitoring_, after catching the Pennsic

Plague. I know I was back on-site the next day; I've got pictures of Amber

putting a Laurel medallion around the neck of someone wearing my garb, and

jewelery, and hair. (And I would _so_ love pictures of the front of me, from

any source whatsoever... I think my son thinks I hatched him.)

        I was also at TYC, where one of the attending Royals left the site

to give birth to a daughter and returned to walk in the next day's procession.

Pregnancy in an otherwise-healthy adult is less dangerous under camping

conditions than is medical obesity under the same circumstances.

        I was dehydrated due to to the flulike illness that also laid low

so many fighters, cooks, jongleurs and (other) merchants. I took better care

of myself than most of them did, specifically because I was pregnant, and

recieved lavish attention for the same reason. Alex was born not only

full-term, but at three weeks, one day _after_ his due date. (16 Oct., to be

precise.) Obviously Pennsic did neither of us any lasting harm.

        A birth occurring while the mother was away from home would be an

inconvenience, especially for her relatives who wouldn't get to harass her

in the hospital as easily as they could at home. But it would be nothing more.

        Unless the mother was a complete mute, she would not have a chance of

actually giving birth _at_ Pennsic. Somebody would call the medics in plenty

of time.

        Please don't worry. They're planning ahead, they have plans in place,

and they've got at least as good a chance of being just fine as does any of

the one thousand airheaded 19-year-olds who will show up with no warm clothes

and no clue.

        Remember, I wasn't healthy _before_ I got pregnant. And I did just

fine.  

 

                                Yours in service to the Society-

                                (Friend) Honour Horne-Jaruk R.S.F.

                                Alizaunde, Demoiselle de Bregeuf C.O.L. SCA

                                Una Wicca (That Pict)

 

 

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

From: ojid.wbst845 at xerox.com (Orilee Ireland-Delfs)

Subject: Re: Costuming and Pregnancy

Organization: Xerox Corporation, Webster NY

Date: Mon, 15 Jan 1996 17:50:47 GMT

 

First of all, I agree with Tangwystyl - if you've never done any form of

camping or even if you've camped but are new to the SCA, camping at 6-7 months

pregnant is something to seriously consider not doing. I've done Pennsic for a

week at 8 months, but that was with my second pregnancy and having been in the

SCA for a *lot* of years.  If you wish to attend 30 year, I recommend finding

accomodations that are not camping (a local hotel or motel) where you can have

hot and cold running water, flushing toilets, a real bed, and AIR CONDITIONING

(at that stage of your pregnancy, you will need all of the above). Conversely,

attend smaller events now to get a feel for what you are getting yourself in for

and save big events (like xx yr celebrations) for later when you are more comfortable and know what you are in for.

 

Garb - there have been some good suggestions.  Many periods had garb that was

ideally suited for pregnancy and was generally very easy to make. You will want

it loose and cool.

 

Whatever you do, be aware that it is very easy to overtire and dehydrate at

events (even one day events) and it is especially easy to do when pregnant.  

Take it easy and don't try to do everything at once. There will be plenty of

opportunities to see and do all there is to do at future events.

 

Orianna Fridrikskona

 

 

Date: Thu, 12 Feb 1998 16:47:47 -0800

From: "Crystal A. Isaac" <crystal at pdr-is.com>

Subject: Re: SC - very OOP & OT

 

Excellent documentation for medieval pregancies:

 

Rowland, Beryl, editor and translator. _Medieval Woman's Guide to

Health: The First English Gynecological Handbook_. Published by Kent

State University Press, Kent Ohio. 1981. ISBN 0-87338-243-9

 

It even has drawings of the various ways a fetus can be positioned

within the womb, perhaps a precursor to ultrasound pictures?

 

Crystal

 

 

Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:31:15 -0600 (CST)

From: jenne at fiedlerfamily.net

Subject: [Sca-cooks] obstetrical food question...

To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org

 

Um, nobody may have mentioned it, but one of the reasons I've been pretty

peripatetic on the list is that I'm expecting a baby boy, due before

February 23, 2009. (We also moved to NJ a couple of months ago, just to

make everything more interesting, and most of my books are still packed.)

 

As a result, I've been re-reading some of my period obstetrical texts

(well, trust me, with Gestational Diabetes the modern 'you're having a

baby' books are less than helpful anyway) and came across the statement in

the _Rosegarden for Pregnant Women and Midwives_ that before a certain

point in the pregnancy one should eat costive foods, and towards the end,

laxative foods. This squares with advice from my nurse-practitioner, who

pointed out that getting the runs is sometimes considered a good way to

provoke labor.

 

Now, I'm familiar with the usual list of *modern* foods that *are* costive

(Bananas, Dark Chocolate, Rice, Tea, Applesauce, etc.) and that fresh

fruit in particular are usually considered laxative, both in period and

today. In fact, anything with high amounts of fiber is now considered

laxative.

 

But, since I can't lay my hands on my copy of Galen On Food and Diet, can

people suggest some other period/modern 'laxative' foods?

--

-- Jenne Heise / Jadwiga Zajaczkowa

 

 

Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:00:40 -0500

From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius" <adamantius1 at verizon.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] obstetrical food question...

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

 

On Jan 27, 2009, at 3:31 PM, jenne at fiedlerfamily.net wrote:

<<< But, since I can't lay my hands on my copy of Galen On Food and  

Diet, can people suggest some other period/modern 'laxative' foods? >>>

 

http://books.google.com/books?id=j30JqDTWqFEC&;pg=PA294&lpg=PA294&dq=Andrew+Boorde+Diet&source=bl&ots=fzxQ8oUmsH&sig=vWPusPmsUGGe9Mv90E19xaEkcLw&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA299,M1

 

Or here:

 

http://tinyurl.com/cfezn6

 

This'll get you to Google Books and Andrew Boorde's (he was a big  

Galen devotee, as I recall) views on the subject. Among other things  

he says,

 

"They that hath any of the iiii kyndes of the Idropyses /

must refraine from al thynges the which be constupat and costyue, and  

use all thynges the which be laxatyue /

nuttes, and dry almondes, and hard chese is poyson to them; a ptysane  

and posset ale made with colde herbes doth comfort them."

 

It sounds like he's thinking in pretty basic humoral terms, with the  

things that open the chest (or in this case, the bowels), versus  

closing them. I thought nuts, being high in fiber, would be considered  

a laxative food, but hard cheese, at least in period viewpoints, is  

definitely not one, so it sounds like he's telling a constipated  

person (that being one form of dropsy) to avoid nuts, dry almonds, and  

hard cheese, in favor of a nice cooling posset...

 

Adamantius

 

<the end>



Formatting copyright © Mark S. Harris (THLord Stefan li Rous).
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Comments to the Editor: stefan at florilegium.org