Health News.

For most women who want to be pregnant and who have no particular fears or anxieties, pregnancy can be an enjoyable time. The first three months produce most of the classic pregnancy symptoms and during the middle three months most women find themselves well and content. Increasing research has shown how important the psyche is in pregnancy and there is little doubt that many pregnancy symptoms are produced or made worse by a woman’s psychological state. Psychoanalysis of women with strange cravings (for eating coal, soap and so on) for example, or excessive vomiting shows that these women may have deep psychological problems at the heart of their troubles.

One of the most interesting psychological phenomena of pregnancy is the ‘phantom pregnancy’ (pseudo-cyesis). This is a condition in which a woman believes she is pregnant, and even has pregnancy symptoms, when she is definitely not pregnant. She may have a swollen abdomen and can even produce milk. This phenomenon is also seen in animals. In women it is found both among those who desperately want or do not want a baby.

At the other end of the scale are the many psychological and emotional causes for miscarriage. But this raises the question about how a woman knows she is pregnant – many women think they are pregnant and are having a miscarriage when in fact they are just having a heavy period. As so many women worry repeatedly about whether or not they are pregnant we will discuss the subject in some detail here.

Every day there are lots of women who worry about whether or not they are pregnant. A doctor cannot tell with certainty by physical examination whether you are pregnant or not until eight or more weeks after the first day of your last missed period, though many women know within days or at the latest in a couple of weeks, especially if they have been pregnant before.

There is one easy and cheap way to find out – unless you are prepared to wait and see – and that is to have a pregnancy test which is carried out on a specimen of urine. This can be done by a general practitioner, a hospital pathology laboratory, with a do-it-yourself kit from a pharmacist, by a pharmacist himself, or – most reliably – by a pregnancy consultation or advisory centre or service. (All major cities have at least one. They go under various

names – look them up under Pregnancy Test Services in the Yellow Pages.)

Today’s tests are generally positive a few days after the first day of your missed period, and the newest tests are positive even before this. The secret of getting an accurate result is the careful collection of the specimen of urine. Be guided by the following rules:

1 Don’t drink any fluid after 6pm the night before the test.

2 Collect the specimen properly. Sit at the back of the lavatory seat with your legs one on either

side. Use clean tissues soaked only in water and wash your vulva from front to back once

only with each clean piece of tissue. Separate your inner lips with the fingers of one hand and

then start to urinate. Once you have a good stream don’t stop but collect a small bottleful of

urine as you continue to urinate. Cap the bottle, and if you are doing the test yourself write

your name on it, the date of your last period and any drugs you are on. If you have been on

the Pill in the last three months the test can be difficult to interpret and other drugs could

interfere with the pregnancy test too.

3 Carry out the test or send or take the urine sample to the testing place.

*136\164\2*

read comments (0)

As we have said, sexuality is simply one aspect of an individual’s personality and women who get pregnant when they know they shouldn’t often have some kind of psychosexual problem of which they may be unaware. The types of psychosexual disorder involved are numerous but a few of the commoner ones are: a woman who believes that reproduction is the only justification for sexual pleasure. Such women may have had several babies yet deny that they are interested in sex. A second category includes those women who unconsciously believe that sex is sinful and that pregnancy is a punishment for their sin. This means that there must be a risk of pregnancy if they are to enjoy sex. Other women believe that sex is something done to them by a man and is therefore something for which they have no responsibility, so they don’t bother with contraception because to do so would be contradiction. Many young women who believe that love is the only justification for sex, refuse contraception until they are sure of the man and then get pregnant in the intervening time. Some women who don’t accept their sexual drives deny them consciously yet unconsciously try to indulge them (by getting drunk, losing control and then getting pregnant, for example). A small proportion of women can’t tolerate any sort of contraception because they feel guilty enjoying any form of sexual pleasure. Some women are so filled with shame about their sexual drives that they don’t seek contraceptive advice.

Another common fear is that to accept effective contraception is to open the floodgates to promiscuity. Such women (especially when they are unmarried), refuse all contraception and then get pregnant. Some women are unconsciously incited to pregnancy by their mother (who wants a baby for herself) and then regret the conception when it has occurred. And lastly there is the teenage girl who has just started having intercourse. Such adolescent girls frequently refuse to accept that their status has changed and even though they are not virgins can’t bring themselves to accept the fact and continue to live with the fictitious belief that they are virgins. Many such girls say that they are better able to keep up the lie to their parents, and themselves that they are virgins if they don’t use any contraception. Such a girl believes she is still a virgin (albeit a part-time one) and for this reason doesn’t really need contraception. Such a delusion in a part-time virgin unfortunately leads all too often to unwanted pregnancies.

Many of these reasons for being unwantedly pregnant can be prevented with professional help and better sex education but parents certainly ought to be aware of them if they are to help their daughters both before and after marriage.

*135\164\2*

read comments (0)

The majority of babies are born to married couples yet between a quarter and a half are not wanted or are unplanned. In addition to these unwanted babies within marriage a sizeable minority are born outside marriage. One study of the blood groups of children and their parents in a South London suburb found that about a third of the children could not possibly have been their father’s and an analysis of the statistics shows that nearly half of all married women attending one major abortion centre in the UK claimed that the baby they were having aborted was the result of extra-marital intercourse. Given that more than half of all women admit to an extra-marital affair (and some have several), and that over 90 per cent of people are sexually active before marriage, there is a very considerable chance of extramarital pregnancies occurring. The unmarried girl has very different problems.

Some research shows that women having abortions are psychologically just like other women but have simply taken more risks or have used inefficient contraceptive methods. Other research suggests that this is too simple a view and that most of the women get pregnant to prove their love for their man, to add satisfaction to a relationship, or to secure a failing one. Some women were found to have got pregnant to punish themselves for sexual misdemeanours or for a previous abortion. Sometimes it is to replace a dead child or a lost boyfriend. On investigation most of the ‘bad luck’ category can and should be re-allocated to other causes. Some of these include:

Uncertainty over sexual identity. A few women have to prove that they are really female by having a baby.

To punish their parents. A teenage girl often wants to punish her repressive parents, especially if they have implied that she is promiscuous when she isn’t. Some of these girls also see having a baby as a way of getting away from home.

Trying to trap an unwilling or hostile partner. This is much less common than it was.

Wanting some fun and freedom before ‘settling down to middle age’ is not an uncommon story in older women who have an extra-marital pregnancy.

Deliberate non-contraception is remarkably common. Many women either don’t like the method of contraception they are using, or really want to get pregnant, however unsuitably, or follow a moral or religious code that bans contraception.

Personality problems. Women who seek abortions are found to have different views on sex compared with those who go through with their pregnancies. Abortion seekers often don’t see themselves as instrumental in their unplanned pregnancy.

Changes in circumstances after conception – for example the collapse of a relationship.

Partner factors are not all that common but must be considered. Some men deliberately get their partner pregnant to test their own fertility; to try to secure the relationship; to give themselves added personal status; because of an inability to keep away from intercourse during unsafe periods; because of weak personality development; or because of a refusal to let the woman use oral contraception (a virtually 100 per cent safe method), supposedly on religious or medical grounds but really because they fear her fidelity or the demands for sex she might make on them, and so on.

*134\164\2*

read comments (0)

Itching and Rashes

For itching and rashes:

Chickweed herb

Poultice, compress or ointment: apply regularly to affected areas

Aloe Vera leaves

Apply fresh gel expressed from leaves to affected areas

For eruptive conditions and inflamed skin lesions, acute or chronic:

1 part Burdock root

1 part Marigold flowers

1 part Stinging Nettle

Infusion: 3 cups per day

1 part Burdock root or leaves

1 part Marigold flowers

1 part Chickweed herb

1 part St John’s Wort herb

Poultice, compress or ointment: apply to affected areas, renewing 2-4 times daily

Aloe Vera leaves

Apply fresh gel to affected areas

Psoriasis

4 parts Burdock root

4 parts Dandelion root

2 parts Red Clover flowers

2 parts Lemon Balm leaves

1 part Yellow Dock root

1 part Liquorice root

Combined decoction and infusion: 3 cups per day — may be continued for an extended period of time with suitable breaks in treatment

For external application:

2 parts Burdock root or leaves

1 part Chickweed herb

1 part Marigold flowers

1 part Marshmallow root

Ointment or infusion applied as a compress or lotion: apply to affected areas as required

Skin Parasites and Infections

Thyme has powerful parasiticide and fungicide properties which will destroy fungal infections such as athlete’s foot and skin parasites such as scabies, crabs and lice.

For these purposes the tincture is applied locally as a lotion, usually on a daily basis. Lacking the tincture, an extra-strong infusion or olive oil preparation, though not normally as powerful, may be used instead.

Splinters

For drawing out splinters or foreign objects embedded in flesh:

10 parts Plantain leaves

1 part Cayenne Pepper

Poultice or ointment: apply over area and cover with a dressing (renew 2 or 3 times per day)

Agrimony (Agrimonia eupatoria), Hawthorn, Comfrey or Marsh-mallow can all be used in the same way.

Sunburn

Any of the remedies given for Burns will be useful. Note that the same principle applies: treat the sunburned area as quickly as possible with cool water, then apply further treatment.

For quick on-the spot relief, apply fresh gel from the leaf of an Aloe Vera plant. Vitamin E oil is also highly effective. Apply the oil directly to the skin. It can also be added to any soothing skin ointment.

Ulcers, Skin

To promote the healing of indolent skin ulcers, suppurating wounds, bed sores or chronic varicose ulcers:

1 part Comfrey root or leaves

1 part Marigold flowers

Poultice, compress or ointment prepared from the fresh herbs: apply 2-4 times daily

Aloe Vera leaves

Apply fresh gel expressed from the leaves

*93/66/5*

read comments (0)

Hair and Scalp Problems

To eliminate dandruff and to arrest or prevent falling hair:

1 part Burdock root

1 part Stinging Nettle root or leaves

Infusion of fresh plants: apply daily as a lotion, massaging into the scalp

The following herbs all have a tonic effect on the hair and scalp. To prevent falling hair or to eliminate dandruff, or simply to impart softness and lustre to the hair:

Stinging Nettle herb

Rosemary leaves

Burdock root

Sage leaves

Thyme herb

Infusion of any of the above, alone or in combination: comb through the hair daily as a lotion — or massage into the hair and scalp for several minutes after normal shampooing, then rinse out

A strong infusion of Chamomile or Yarrow is used as a regular rinse to impart tone and colour to blonde or fair hair. Rosemary and Sage are used for dark hair.

Insect Bites and Stings

For relief from insect bites and stings use any of the following. Crush the fresh plant and rub on the affected area.

Aloe Vera leaves (apply fresh gel)

St John’s Wort leaves

Marigold flowers

Plantain leaves

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) leaves

Insect repellents:

The essential oils of Citronella, Lavender and Pennyroyal are disliked by flies, mosquitoes, fleas and other insects. Rub a few drops on exposed areas, carefully avoiding all contact with eyes, nose, mouth and mucous membranes.

Bunches of fresh Horehound, Stinging Nettle or Elder leaves (crushed) are hung in kitchens and pantries to discourage flies and other insects.

*92/66/5*

read comments (0)