Chapter 9—Diet During Pregnancy and Lactation
How to Live, 2:33
The mother, in many cases previous to the birth of her children,
is permitted to toil early and late, heating her blood.... Her strength
should have been tenderly cherished.... Her burdens and cares are
seldom lessened, and that period, which should be to her of all others a
time of rest, is one of fatigue, sadness and gloom. By too great exertion
on her part, she deprives her offspring of that nutrition which nature
has provided for it, and by heating her own blood, she imparts to the
child a bad quality of blood. The offspring is robbed of its vitality,
robbed of physical and mental strength.
Testimonies for the Church 2:378-379
I was shown the course of B in his own family. He has been
severe and overbearing. He adopted the health reform as advocated by
Brother C and, like him, took extreme views of the subject; and not
having a well-balanced mind, he has made terrible blunders, the results
of which time will not efface. Aided by items gathered from books, he
commenced to carry out the theory he had heard advocated by Brother
C and, like him, made a point of bringing all up to the standard he
had erected. He brought his own family to his rigid rules, but failed to
control his own animal propensities. He failed to bring himself to the
mark, and to keep his body under. If he had had a correct knowledge
of the system of health reform, he would have known that his wife was
not in a condition to give birth to healthy children. His own unsubdued
passions had borne sway without reasoning from cause to effect.
Before the birth of his children, he did not treat his wife as a woman
in her condition should be treated. He carried out his rigid rules for
her, according to Brother C’s ideas, which proved a great injury to her.
He did not provide the quality and quantity of food that was necessary
to nourish two lives instead of one. Another life was dependent upon
her, and her system did not receive the nutritious, wholesome food
necessary to sustain her strength. There was a lack in the quantity and
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