The New Mother
found poem from Every Woman’s Doctor Book
If your figure is not as trim as before
make yourself a brassiere
from a 45 inch length of towelling.
Most mothers whose figures are loose
will be much improved
by wearing a good corset belt.
If there are obvious rolls of fat
in the stomach wall you will need
a controlling under-belt.
Have a daily sponge-down or tepid bath
and give every inch of your body
a brisk towelling afterwards.
Sufferers from falling hair
can take a general tonic such as
Easton’s Syrup or Parrish’s Chemical Food.
The tissues are relaxed and tender
for a month after a baby is born
and especially when stiches have been needed.
It is wise to wait for six weeks.
I have known instances where married lives
have been rendered miserable.
Carole Bromley has two collections with Smith/Doorstop (A Guided Tour of the Ice House, 2011 and The Stonegate Devil, 2015) A collection for children, Blast Off!, will be published in 2017. www.carolebromleypoetry.co.uk