OUR BABIES

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11833, 14 January 1933, Page 11

OUR BABIES

(By “Hygeia,”)

Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the .Health oi Women and Children (Phvn-

ket Society)

“Tt is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.” i

BABY’S FIRST MONTH. THE ESTABLISHMENT OF LACTATION. The importance of a right start for Loth mother and baby at this juncture cannot he over-emphasised. As soon as the mother has settled down comfortably after childbirth, and always within 12 hours of birth, the baby should be put to both breasts for a few minutes, as, it is the sucking of the baby which. P 10 rides the stimulus, in. bringing in the milk, and also the fluid (colostrum) first secreted is an important food. The second day, feeding at six-hourly intervals is usual. and after that at three or four-hourly internals. whichever is decided upon hv the doctor or nurse m charge. Care should he taken not to leave the bn by at the breast for more than a few minutes at first, for two reasons : fl) Prolonged sucking teaches the baby bad habits, and is likely to end in his refusal to take the breast if be is kept at it when empty. (2) It is bad for the nipple. A strong sucker kept too long suck ing an empty breast may cause the skin in become sodden and crack. The time may be gradually increased to ]5 to 20 minutes at a feeding as the milk comes in, and if the habv shows no signs of overfeeding. No definite rule as to the time needed for suckling can be laid down. A oifnrtor op an hour is a fair average. but: seme need 20 minute*, while others get nil they ought to have in less than 10 minutes, as test weighings have repeatedly proved. No night feed should he given from the first. This gives the mo(-n----or and child a good 8 hours’ vest. Whether the first feed is given at 5 or 6 a.m. in the morning, the see end feeding should ho regular.—at the next three or four-hourly inters.af. Should baby awake and cry in. tile night be should be changed if wet, and tucked up warmly in his cot again. Don’t talk to him while doing this Che soon loams to expect such attentions), and. XI'.YPR should he be taken into the mothers o' n.urse's bed. Tf the habit of night feeding be established children sometimes are bad sleepers lor years. A healthy breast-fed infant soon learns to take sufficient food in the day. if onlv the nurse and mother are firm enough iiy the beginning, realising that a little crying at first is going to be for the ultimaie good of the child. In the Karitalic Hospitals all flic normal resident, babies have no night feed, and these babies are rarely heal'd after their 10 p.m. feed till they are awakened lor their next morning feed n( 0 a.m. The wrong habit is sometimes starfed m relieve the mother whose breasts are painful in idle night. A

little milk should ho expressed or drawn off with a breast pump, and tbe breasts firmly supported. T° begin giving a night |eed even f" 1 this reason is wrong, (is most nssur edlv the baby lias to -be broken of this habit later on.

AYharever intervals of feeding are decided upon must be strictly adhered to. as tin.' regular emptying of the breasts is very important in establishing lactation. Alany mothers think it is very cruel to waken a baby for a feed, and so live in a constant muddle as (o meal times, rest periods, and outings. This is a mistaken kindness, and mother and baby should live hy the clock. The routine is established. in a few weeks, and no clock is needed—the baby himself acts as a clock!

“The reasons for regular feeding may be given as they concern (1) the mother, and (2) the child. (1) Regular feeding times make sure of the breast being worked and rested, so as to obtain the host results from it, and to make the duty less irksome to the mother hy the fixed hours, allowing her to arrange other duties so as to fit in with, them, (2) Regularity in feeding secures the proper apportionment of work and rest To the infant’s digestive tract. A baby differs from the suckling animal or from the baby of the uncivilised savage in that as- he grows up his meal time, his sleep time, play time, and work time will be. determined by social circumstances. The careless, shiftless, and ignorant mother whoso child is brought up without method and given the breast whenever be cries for it is injuring both, the health and character of her child. Not only is he likely to have disturbed digestion and irregularities in the action of the bowels,, but he is acquiring the slipshod ways of his parents, and, without discipline' in self-control, he grows up 1 selfwilled and. unable to adapt himself to our .customs, and is neither physically or morally a, credit to the race.”—Extract from “A Text Book for Midwives.” by Dr. Fairbaim.

This talk will he continued in our next, week’s article.