OUR BABIES

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 7 February 1925, Page 15

OUR BABIES

(By HYGEIA.) Published under the auspices of the Royal New Zealand Society for the Heltha of Women and Children (Plunket Society). “It is wiser to out up a fence at

the ton of a precipice than to maintain an ambulance at the bottom.”

NATURAL FEEDING OF INFANTS. A few weeks ago, when dealing with the breast-feeding of babies, it struck m that it would be a good idea to allow one of the Plunket Nurses to talk to mothers on this subject. Such a talk will be specially interesting to mothers who live beyond the reach of Plunket Nurses, and it will also serve to keep those mothers who have alieady had a talk with the nurses in mind of what was said and advised.

A NURSE’S TALK TO MOTHERS. “This subject, ‘Natural Feeding,’ covers a vast extent of knowledge. In the meantime I am .only going to give you some advice and a ' few simplepractical rules. These rules will be of value and help to you who are present, and you, in your turn, may be able to help some of your friends should they have any anxiety with regard to feeding their babies, and be in doubt as to what course t(j take. s “ ‘Natural feeding’'—that .is, breastfeeding—is test for the mother and best for the baby. A baby needs the very best food available for perfect development, and that is its own mother’s milk. This should also be ensured because of the bond of love existing between a mother and her breastfed baby. We always do our best to establish natural feeding whenever possible. “Breast-feeding is a natural proceeding, and any departure from it should be regarded* as an abnormality. Practically every mother can breast-feed her baby'for at least eight or nine months, if she has the desire to do so, coupled with the confidence in her own ability. The failure of so many mothers nowadays to do so very often arises through lack of knowledge and wrong advice. If a mother "is strong enough to build and nourish her child for nine months 'before birth with her blood, then she should he able to suckle it afterwards. Also, the blood which is pure enough to produce a normal, healthy baby, must surely be pure and good enough to assist in the making of pure, healthy milk for the nourishment of the child. “Accuse not Nature, she hath done her pact; do thou but thine.' Almost without exception, all women can be good nursing mothers. More .than four-fifths are good nursing mother** from the start. Almost all mothers who fail to nurse satisfactorily at first become able to do so with p alienee and perseverance. The cases of failure of mil)v supply are exceedingly rare; absolute inability to suckle does not exist.

Why .Baby Should be Breast-fed. “ Milk is created for the baby in the breast of the mother, therefore it is the baby’s perfect food and hi® birthright. Why deprive him of this food and replace it with, something quite inferior? .#“2 It is a, food quite free from germs, because the mjjk is drawn straight from the breasts into the baby’s mouth. One has only to think of tire stages cow’s milk has to go through before it finally reaches the babe to realise the importance of this consideration.

“3 Breast milk is more easily digested than, any other baby food ; also it may be called the digestive, of cow's milk. If baby is given, cow's milk he will, digest it much, better if given even, a small quantity of, breast milk previously. “4 A baby has better nutrition if he hasi been, correctly fed.

“5. Baby* tends to- have better teeth, because he has to work for his living, and so gets natural exercise for’ his mouth, arid jaws—-not being allowed to idly lie while the milk dribbles into his mouth through a large-holed teat. “6. Baby will have a better brain and better nerves. Because the blood nourjshes the brain and nerves, y*oii will see how* feeding the blood with the best available food, which is breast milk, will render the blood purer and better' able to perform its work.

“7. Then there is a low mortality rate in breast-fed babies compared with those who ai'e bottle-fed.

“8. Again, the mother has better health. The blood used in nourishing the child before birth is diverted to the breasts. The stimulus given by the suction of the baby aids in this process, so that the pelvic organs shrink more easily; and there is much less likelihood of the mother suffering from displacements, which so often occur after childbirth.

“9. Then, too,, there is economy, both in time and money, which is a great consideration to so many mothers. “10. We -see that the natural food produces a well-nourished and developed child, who should he a iov and comfort in the home,' and not a fretful, weak, sickly babe, who is a constant worry to his narents.

“Having convinced ourselves that breast-feeding is the very best for both mother and baby, let me just say a few words about the actual feeding.” [Next week we shall describe the nurse’s demonstration of the various points which make all the difference between * successful and unsuccessful breast-feeding. The fact that the nurse is able to demonstrate in a practical way what should be done and the confidence she is able to inspire in the mothers from her knowledge gained through actual experience can scarcely be overrated.]