OUR BABIES

Grey River Argus, 9 May 1936, Page 12

OUR BABIES

By Hvgeia. Published under the auspices of Hie Royal New Zealand Society for the Health of 'Women and Children (Plunket Society). “It is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an ambulancii at the bottom.’' WISE MOTHERHOOD. 81-11-'()R 1-1 B-AB)' COMES. In our two previous talks we dealt with some of the rules which must be observed to ensure a healthy, wellnourished blood stream. Last week we discussed the requirements of a wellbalanced diet; and how it will affect the. health of mother and baby. The next points to consider are the removal of waste matter in order to prevent an accumulation in any part of the body, and the prevention of circulation in the blood stream of poisons generated by such waste matter, which would undermine health. ELIMINATION. This is effected through the kidneys the bowels, the lungs, and the skin, lienee Hie need for keeping these organs functioning actively. The need for fresh air. plenty of fluid, ami regular bathing has ben discussed, but a further word in regard to bowel evacuation may be helpful. Actually, if died is correct (that is, if it includes sufficient fruit, vegetables, -and unrefined cereals), and provided that the other (essentials for health, arc* habitually practised, there should be a regular daily movement of the bowels. Should the mothor he troubled with constipation while endeavouring to improve her general condition by attention to the foregoing po'nts, it may be necessary, as a temporary corrective, to take some form of aperient. This should never be a strong and purging medicine, as such tends to aggravate the condition rather than to improve it. The best form' of aperient is a fruit mixture prepared as follows: —Prunes. lib (soaked _ overn'ght): treacle (black), 41b added to the above am] simmered for half an hour. Stone and chop up the fruit; then mix one tablespoonful of senna and a- small tcaspoonful of ginger with some of thc. syrup adding this to the fruit and the remainder of the syrup. Place the mixture in a screw-top jar. Dose as required—one or two teaspoonfuls at bedtime. If preferred small doses of the best extract of cascara (five to ten drops taken after meals three 1 infos a day) may be used. Should simple means fail'and the condition persist, the mother must consult her doctor, as constipation is a condition which affects the health of the mother more seriously than is generally realised. EXERCISE. If the muscles become flabby and useless they will fail to do their work. To prevent such a condition exercise is necessary. The active housewife going about her daily duties is beter off in this respect than the mother for whom ail household tasks are done. In addition to the usual everyday exercise, a. brisk daily walk of one to two miles, no matter what the weather is like, is most beneficial. This has the effect of stimulating the whole system, improving the circulation, and toning up the. muscles generally to prepare them for their particular duties. SPECIAL EXERCISES. These should be commenced early in pregnancy, and not done too vigorously at first. About five to ten minutes morning and evening will bo long enough to do them. They consist of bonding the trunk forward, backwards, and sideways with a circular movement from' the hips; lying on the floor and raising alternate legs for a start, thou Roth legs together, and keeping the .logs extended whilst raising the upper part of the body to a sitting position. The last-mentioned exercise should not he attcqiipted until the mother is accustomed to doing the simpler ones, and even then they should be done very gradually. These exercises, the object of which is to train the muscles of the abdomen and pelvis and so prepare them for tho strain of childbirth, will be demon-

strafed by +hc nurse of the ante-natal section, or the mother can obtain a small illustrated booklet from any Flunked nurse. By toning up the abdominal muscles they will be a great aid iu tin l correction or prevent ion of const ipatiun. Deep lireat liing should be carried out in conjunction with Hie exercises. AMERICAN DRILL. This is for the relief of varicose veins. Tho mother should lie on her back across the bed or on a mat on the floor with her legs against a wall so they are in a, perpendicular posit.on from the hips. If this is done for 10 or 15 minutes daily about the middle of the day it will be most helpful to sufferers of varicose, veins CLOTHING. The most important points in this respiet ar e to see that the clothing causes no restriction, particularly around the breasts, waist, and legs. Th<i weight of the clothing should be suspended from the shoulders and should not drag from the waist. Warmth is possible without overelothing the body, and so making it sensi tive to cold. A raincoat for damp days is inecessary. otherwise tho mother is apt to miss the daily walk. Shoes should be comfortable and suit able for walking purposes. High heels and narrow toes restrict the action of the muscles of thc foot. The former are dangerous, as a mother may easily i rip in high-heeled shoes, quite, apart from the fact that they throw the body off the balance and cause wrong posture. A suitable supporting abdominal binder is a great comfort in tho latter month of pregnacy, and can be simply made from a length of towelling which is wide enough to reach from the waist to well below the hips The pattern for this binder, with dirreetions for wearing, may be obtained from any Plunket nurse. PREPARATION OF THE BREASTS FOR NURSING. If the routine ante-natal treatment for the care of the breasts were regularly carried out many more mothers would find nursing less strain tor t W first few weeks after chidbirth. . it skin around the nipples needs to be toughened, and can be improved bj daily scrubbing with a, soft brus , soap, and water for a few minutes, followed by careful drying. When the weather is favourable, a few minutes exposure to the sunshine is also invaluable. If the nipples tend to be flat or inverted they can be coaxed or drawn out with a clay pipe or breast pump, and gently rolled between oiled fingers. Don’t overdo these troa-nients If the muscles of the breast are a ’Y bathing with hot and cold water abernatolv for five minutes each mornin and evening is an excellent means ot improving the tone of the nuisHes Now just a word about tho denrist. Formerly mothers hove been afraid of having teeth attended to during the ante-natal period, but nowadays all mothers arc stronglv advised to h. teeth attended to if necessary. Otnei wise presence of decaying teeth ?ho wouth means .aosorption of poisons and poorer health in consequence The digestion also will suffer, as the test

are unable to propare the food effectively for digestion. THE NERVOUS SYSTEM. The stability of the- nervous system is a matter of much importance, this is assured by a healthy mode of 1-fe, congenial companions and surroundings, a cheerful atmosphere, with a noticeable lack of the depressing influences of “old wives’, tales.” , The wise mother ignores or refuses to listen to such bable, and prefers, to consult her doctor or the ante-clinic nuise with regard to any small problems or perplexit'.es that may arise. SLEEP AND A DAILY REST PERIOD. For complete restoration of the body and nervous system, following the activities of the' day. eight hours’ sleep is required at night. Alter till* midday meal a short rest u p to an hour is most refreshing. Whenever possible this is best taken out of doors in the sunshine, the patient inclining on a couch with the feet up and the body completely at rest. Baby’s layette and the, garments necessary for baby ’s reception at birth will be 'd'seussed in next week’s article.