Children well and happy

Every mother should nurse her baby if she is well and has the milk; it is her most important duty for the time being, and all other things should be secondary to it.

The reasons. Breast milk is nature’s food for the baby. It is fresh, sterile, and always at hand. It is the least expensive food that can be given, and contains the proper elements of food in the right proportions.

Breast-fed babies seldom have bowel troubles—which are apt to be so fatal in bottle-fed babies, especially in hot weather. Ten bottle-fed babies die to one fed on the breast.

Hours for nursing. At the end of the first twenty-four hours the baby is put to the breast. Because of the scant quantity of milk in the breasts, every four or six hours is often enough for the first two days. Until the mother’s milk comes no food should be given to the baby except a little cool boiled water, not sweetened. If the milk is very scanty, the physician will probably order a few bottle feedings. For a normal baby the following feedings are recommended:

The mother should nurse her baby regularly and give nothing between feedings except unsweetened boiled water. If the baby is awakened at feeding times during the day, he will soon form the habit of nursing regularly.

How to hold the baby. While the baby is nursing do not hold him too closely to the breast, as he must have plenty of air to breathe. If the baby is nursing from the right breast, he should be held on the right arm, and the mother’s left hand should press the breast away from the baby’s nose.

Length of nursing time. The baby should not nurse more than ten minutes at first nor more than twenty minutes at any time. He should not be allowed to fall asleep while nursing nor be permitted to take his meal too rapidly, as this latter may cause him to hiccup. If a baby nurses too rapidly, withdraw the nipple from his mouth for a few seconds. This may be done every three or four minutes.

Baby’s stomach. The infant generally takes more fluid at each feeding than the stomach can hold at one time. Almost as soon as the milk is swallowed it begins to pass into the intestines. Breast milk is digested and passed on more rapidly than cow’s milk.

Mixed feedings. When the mother’s milk is of good quality, but is not sufficient in quantity to satisfy the baby, it is necessary to give him additional food. This is done by giving alternate feedings of the breast milk and modified milk. Mixed feedings should always be given under the doctor’s directions. Every bit of breast milk helps the baby, because it tends to make the digestion of artificial food easier.

Advice to nursing mothers. Keep yourself well. As long as you are well the baby will keep well. Even though you have but little milk at first, do not get discouraged; be patient and persevering. You should have lunches of milk and gruel—one in the middle of the morning, one in the afternoon, and another at bedtime. Remember that an active, cheerful mind is an important factor in good health. Nothing upsets a baby more quickly than a nervous, irritable mother.

Diet of a nursing woman. The meals should be simple and nutritious and should include a large amount of liquid. Milk, cereals, eggs, and soups should form the principal part of the diet. Some of the foods to be avoided by a nursing woman are cabbage, onions, garlic, and sour fruits.

Weaning. The healthy baby should be weaned from the breast between the ninth and the eleventh month. Every baby ought to be weaned entirely at the age of one year, but it is better not to wean him during the summer. If a baby has been taught to take water from a spoon or cup, there will be no trouble at the weaning period in having him take his milk from a cup. Weaning should take place gradually. During the process the mother should take less liquids and usually some laxative to produce free movements of the bowels.

Weigh the baby. The baby should be weighed once a week. Scales similar to grocers’ scales, with a basket attached, may be used, as they are more accurate than spring scales.

Directions for weighing. Have the scales in a warm place, protected from drafts. Undress the baby, wrap him in a small blanket, and place him in the basket on the scales. Write down the total weight; then lift the baby out, weigh the basket and blanket together, and subtract this amount from the first weight. The average healthy baby weighs from seven to seven and one-half pounds at birth, and his average length is twenty inches. A healthy baby usually doubles his weight at the end of the fifth month, and by the end of the first year weighs three times as much as at birth. For instance, if he weighs seven pounds at birth, he should weigh fourteen pounds at the end of the fifth month and twenty-one pounds at the end of the first year.

If the length is twenty inches at birth, the baby should grow about four inches during the first five months and eight inches during the first year. The following table shows the actual gain in weight of a healthy baby that was breast fed:

A child may be in good health and yet not conform to these averages. This need cause no uneasiness, providing the child is well and gains in weight.