OUR BABIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 16 April 1928, Page 9

OUR BABIES

MOTHERCRAFT HOMES

By Hygeia

Published under Uio auspice,; oi ,lho Hoy o,l !v?w Zealand Society the {Health of Women and .Child ivn (Plunket Society) It ;s wiser to put up a fenco V. tin top of a precipice than t<i main tain an ambulance at the bottom.'

The Plunket. Mothererafi Homes—which are situated at Auckland. Wanganui. Wellington. Christchureh, Dunedin. and Invereargill—are designed t,, demonstrate and teach practical moiherctaft — itn* "ait of correct motiier-

ine." and so to prevent the troubles whicb arise in babyhood ns the result <,!' early weaning or mistakes in management. They also meet, the needs of the mot her with an ailing breast-fed babv who, for one reason or another, is not ' doing well on the breast. 'Hie mother whose milk supply is failing or has failed may come ill for treat] it. v.liirh. in almost all eases, results in complete or paitial restoration of I lie milk supply within a few weeks. In vei'V many cases natural feeding has been fully re-established after days or even weeks of weaning, and in. some instances this has been accomplished after eitjht to ten weeks, even when the baby has never been wholly breast-fed to start with. Mothers and babies can tilso be admitted for 24 hours' observation and test-weighing, in order to ascertain iust how much milk the baby is getting from the breast. The nurses in charge of the Mother-

craft Homes have had much experience in the management of difficulties connected with natural feeding, .and are skilful and understanding. 2t is their aim to make every mother feel "at heme." and to make her realise that she .and her baby are being considered as individuals with individual problems lor solution, not as "cases" in for t rent meid.

All the Homes arc- very simply equipped but they are comfortable and restful. They are run in connection with the Kavit'ane Baby Hospitals, but. are conducted .separately. All the Homes are beautifnllv situated, with sunny verandahs, gardens, and in some of the centres very wonderful views.

HOW THE HOMES HELP The second fortnight' or so of a baby's life is apt to he a little critical, especially in. the case of a first- baby. The mother perhaps young and inexperienced, may find herself unexpectedly weak, nervous, and easily upset- when she returns from the nursing home, or is left by her nurse. Unskilled in the management, of her baby and beset, by conflicting tylvice from well-meaning people, she is worried and confused, the baby's crying harasses her. and she loses her'milk, or overfeeds under the impression that the child is hungry. In. a very short time a beautiful, healthy breast-fed baby may become an ailing bottle-fed. and the'radiant young mother anxious, nervy, and exhausted. Tin's, perhaps, is citing an extreme case, but in some form or degree the story is all too common. The mistakes are 'not due to carelessness, but to lack of knowledge. Only knowledge, rightly applied, can correct the results of the mistakes and prevent recurrences. The Plunket nurse can do much to help, bin home circumstances often handicap the mother, and here the Mothercraft Home can be of the very greatest- service. The mother may dread leaving home, but once she has made the plunge what a tremendous relief it is to hand over the responsibility of baby to skilled, experienced people; how i-est fill' it is to know that the next meal will come along cooked, and that there will be no crying baby to disturb the night's sleep. ' A few 'days, or a week or' so of this lightening of physical and mental burdens works wonders, as manv hundreds of parents would testi-

Better still is a short stay at a Mothercraft Home directly alter leaving the maternity hospital, so that the mother mav be helped and assisted back to full health and strength, learn to manage her babv. to have confidence in her own power'to feed him fully, and know that he is gaining satisfactorily and sleeping well. The lessons learnt in such .; way are of incalculable benefit to both'parent:', and baby, and the saving in worry, nervons strain. and possible unhappiness can scarcely be estimated.

The care of premature babies is another important part of the work of the Mothercraft Homo*. These wee miles can he admitted for skilled care within a few hours or days of birth if desired. The mother comes in later in order that the baby may be established at the breast.

The Plunkei Society hopes that every woman who reads this column will remember the Mothercraft Homes and their purposi—"to help the mothers and save the babies" —in case of her own or another's need. Any further information will gladly be supplied by the matrons'or the Plunket nurses. The maximum fees are four and a-half guineas for mother and baby, but reductions are arranged when necessary, ac cording t" circumstances. And no mother ami baby needing the care and attention which a .Mothercraft Home can give is ever refused admission on account i'f inability to pay the fee.