NOTES FOR WOMEN.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20800, 20 August 1929, Page 15

NOTES FOR WOMEN.

TRAVELLING WITH BABY. (By G. «.) Xmv that spring is here once more, many people are already beginning to j n |, n (' c plans for the summer holidays. Most ni us find this a problem of absorbing in- , rerest, and after careful scrutiny of theI imaneuil position mg weigh and re-weigh I 'no attractions of .seaside and mountain, country and city, and tramping, cycling, , or motoring according to om- individual ; tastes—and powers. Then routes are ; planned and accommodation booked and ; wc give ourselves up to the joys of nnti- ■ cipation—sometimes the best part of the ..Holiday, for in nnr dreams do we ever ; i emember to include wet days spent round la. dismal boarding house fireside, sun ! blisters and mosquito bites and the varii aches b.\ which our muscles protest at i unaccustomed exertions? j But for the mother of a young baby, howeier wistfully she may dream of the 1 Umidajs, there are often so ninny difficulties in the way that too frequently she , just resigns herself to her fate, either i leeling she simply cannot do it for a few years or she leaves baby in trustworthy ; niul trnvcls forth leaving at least , one-half of her iniml aur] heart at home. | Every mother who has at any time had 1o I leave her little one in another’s care (no matter how capable), will remember the i diet with which die returned to resume her responsibilities—and that is not the in which a refreshing holiday can be enjoyed. But this sacrifice really need not be made, for with careful planning both mother and baby may be much benefited by the change, and indeed bis majesty, "the baby.” may put on the required number of ounces every week all the time. This is how one young mother planned and enjoyed a most refreshing holiday livo years previously she had spent the happiest holiday in the world—her honeymoon trip; the following year she refused to go away anywhere, but just stayed ai home; but this summer baby .was nine months old. and with memories of that last blissful holiday to lure them on, his fond parents began to study railway guides and to plan a really interesting trip round the North .Island, feeling that as they were planning two years’ holiday in one they might as well do the thing properly. Luggage had. to be firmly restricted to the absolute minimum, and this was found to be two medium-sized suit cases, and of the available space, by far the lion’s share had to be allotted to Master Baby’s requirements. He had just been weaned, so into one side of a suit case went the materials for preparing his meals; a small aluminum saucepan, a spirit lamp, and a bottle of methylated spirits, a bottle of lime water, a packet of sugar of milk a bottle for the prepared milk, feeding bottles and thermometer; also a small tin of oven-dried crusts. His washcloth baby soap, powder and Karitane ointment were'; placed in a rubber-lined spongebag and two soft- towels were also taken Several silk rompers, a few soft knitted woollies, three nightdresses, six flannel squares, and about three dozen napkins, comprised his wardrobe. His bed, in which ho travelled for the greater part of the way, was made in this manner: On a serviceable baby rug was laid a soft and fairly thin kapok pillow covered with waterproof sheeting and a layer of flannel. Baby lay on this (in his ordinary clothes.' no coat) and was covered by a folded cot blanket and the sides and lower end of. the rug were folded over and secured by large safety pins. This made a compact bundle for carrying and lying on a seal in the railway carriage, and he slept as comfortably as if at home in his cot. To hold a baby in one’s arms for several hours at a time is quite as tiring for baby as for nurse. In a capacious leather handbag the mother carried half a dozen fresh napkins and a fair-sized rubber-lined spongebag which held a day’s supply of soiled linen. For herself, the mother packed one crepe de chine afternoon frock and an mvrushablc silky straw hat, one cotton frocu, and night and underwear for herself and husband; while travelling she wore a navy rep ensemble. The travellers stayed several days at a time at boarding houses or with friends, and on no occasion did they experience difficulty with the necessary daily washing or the preparation of humanised milk. When the humanised milk was being made, the milk was’’ always boiled for 10" minutes first, and the mixture was made up without the prescribed amount of boiled water. This was found to be most convenient, as in boarding houses or at refreshment stations (which somehow always seemed to appear just at feeding times) boiling water could be readily obtained, and this both heated and diluted the milk. Also the concentrated milk occupied less space—an important consideration, A light folding pram completed the luggage. The ; route followed was Dunedin to Christchurch, thence Wellington, Masterton, Palmerston North, Auckland. Rotorua, Whakatane. Hamilton, Wellington, Christchurch, and so home. In a number of places the Plunket rooms were visited and baby was carefully weighed, and it was found that the weight'gained throughout the trip averaged five ounces per week. Whether travelling by rail or service car he was fed- and slept and exercised as regularly as at home. For instance, on the journey from Hamilton to Wellington, ha was undressed and put to bed early in the evening, taken to the train at 9.30 p.m.. and had his bottle, and though the carriage was comfortably full, slept till shortly before reaching Palmerston North at 6 a.m. Here he had another feed and a light sponge, and fresh day clothes, and after half an hour of play*went to sleep again till Wellington was reached at about 9 a.m. In decided contrast to this was another baby in the same carriage. This poor child (about a year old) was fully dressed with cap and coat and wrapped in a heavy shawl all the way aud lield i in the arms of his poor mother. He cried and cried monotonously hour after hour, and when the fresh spring morning dawned the mother looked utterly worn out. Imagine her surprise when at Palmerston North she discovered that hers was not the only baby in the carriage! Safe at home once more and the trip but a pleasant memory, both travellers declared their conviction that it had been well worth while—and even more delights ful than the ideal holiday of two years before. The son and heir had not been the least trouble or anxiety, quite the contrary, his presence had been a pleasure—indeed a sly grandpa hinted that the pleasure of introducing such a fine young New Zealander to admiring friends and relatives had been one of the chief joys of the holiday, but this fact the proud father has never admitted.