OUR BABIES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3542, 31 January 1922, Page 51

OUR BABIES.

By

HYGEIA

Published under ttig auspice* of tti* Royal New Zealand Society for the Health st Women and Children. “It Is wiser to put up a fence at the top of a precipice than to maintain an * imbalance at tne bottom.”

THE MOTHERCRAFT TRAINING SCHOOL AT EARL’S COURT, LONDON. The following article, which appeared in til© Nursing Times of October 1, 1921, ‘Will be interesting to nurses, and Ho doubt also to mothers. It gives a short resume of what is taught during a three months rurse at the Trebovir Road institution, ana headed: DR TRUDY KING’S METHODS. The question is often asked, “Wliat is taught at the Mothercraffc Training School in Trebovir Road, which takes trained nurses three months to learn ?” It is in answer to this question that the following article is written: The nurse comes for an interview; she begins to realise that there is something scientific about the feeding methods taught; she sees the Breast- Feeding Charts, and wonders what magio is used to re-establish natural feeding. On going round the wards she notices that most of the babies appear to be sleeping, and she wonders how so many students employ their time (an eighthour duty and three shifts explain this), and she is told to be prepared for a strenuous three months of practical, together with a good deal of theoretical work. She commences her training not quite knowing what to expect, but is comforted by the knowledge that she can leave at the end of a month if there is nothing in it. Every student begins at the beginning, and does the junior work for a few days, so that she may be able to teach others when her turn comes, or know how to organise another such place later on. The preliminary lecture makes her think; it is a call to high ideals and the best standard of work, and she realises that, at any rate in the eyes of the teacher, the work is one of real national importance, to be done only by women who realise that it :s every ba-by’6 right to have the best that can be given. She is invited to criticise the methods and to ask questions on any point. THE FIRST FORTNIGHT. The first fortnight is spent in the nurseries, learning the special methods of bed making, bathing, feeding, etc.; she is usually surprised at the detailed care and at tention given to each individual baby, and soon feels the home atmosphere which permeates the Centre. THE NEXT STEP. Having obtained a general idea of the practical work, the next step is the milk kitchen, where two nurses spend all their time in making the modified mixtures, cleaning the utensils, etc. Here, once again, she is astonished at the detail, and at finding that measurements as generally stated are inaccurate —for instance, six teaspoons of cane sugar equals loz, while it takes eight teaspoons of lactose (milk sugar) to make loz. She gets an insight into dieting. Every baby’s report for the* previous day is read, an accurate account haying been kept in the nursery of vomits, motions, sleep, etc., and each baby’s diet adjusted to its individual need. The calories and percentages are frightening, but she hopes to understand them in time. By this time Ihe nurse is usually fully convinced that- the principles of dieting are right, and that if the farmer will trouble to calculate in calorics for his animals surely nurses should not feed babies by guesswork. THE MOTHER’S FLAT. Next comes the mother's flat; three diffi cult breast-feeding cases; numberless re cords of test feeds, expressed milk, complementary food, etc., to be kept; the mother’s routine to be learnt—each to be made happy and contented, cheered, encouraged. The wonderful increase of the breast milk—sometimes a rise from almost nothing to a full, supply in from one to three weeks—the rapid progress of the baby make this one of the most interesting and exciting parts of the training.AN ILLUSTRATIVE CASE. A typical slum mother came in with her baby screaming at the breast, and losing weight rapidly; the mother was not at all interested, but glad of any help, her husband being out of work. On test weighing it was found that 6he had 2oz of breast milk in 24 hours. It then remained for the nurses in charge of the case to arouse enthusiasm, and by infinite patience to help the mother to persevere with a screaming baby at each feed. This was done with so much success that the mother, as time went on, informed everyone she met in the Home of tile amount obtained bv the baby at the previous feeding, and as the milk increased the baby sucked contentedly. In three, weeks this woman was fully nursing her infant, who was steadily gaining in weight. A fortnight later she returned triumphant; she had such a quantity of milk that she was giving the surplus to a neighbour’s sick baby! Also the medical officer was using her as a missionary. She related the story of how an unknown woman called at her house and said: “Please tell me how to get back my breast milk; Dr sent me.” Thus by encouraging one woman a circle of education was started; there is no better teacher than the convinced mother. No words from a doctor at a clinic or interview would have accomplished this; A meant the continued perseverance of nurses with conviction, tact, and personality which gave confidence to the mother. To accomplish such rosults the nurse must, be posi live, and the only way to become so is to live among and learn from the mothers and babies themselves. (To be Continued next week.)