OUR BABIES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 77, Issue 107, 8 May 1934, Page 7

OUR BABIES

natural feeding. The field, of knowledge covering the subject of natural feeding is of vast extent, but in the meantime we intend to give you only some advice and some of the reasons indicating the paramount importance of breast feeding for both mother and child. Natural feeding—that is, breast feeding—is best for the mother and best for the baby. For perfect development a baby needs the very best food available, 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 breast-fed baby. We always do our best to establish natural feeding whenever possible. Breast feeding is a natural procedure, and any departure from it should be regarded as an abnormality. Practicably 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 mothers nowadays to do so very often arises through lack of knowledge and wrong advice. Lf a mother is strong enough to build and nourish her child for nine months before birth with her blood, then she should also be able to suckle him afterwards The blood which is pure enougn 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 part, do thou but thine.” Almost without exception all women can be good nursing mothers. More than fourfifths are good nursing mothers from the start. Almost all mothers who fail to nurse satisfactorily at first become able to do so with patience and perseverance in a simple routine treatment for increasing the supply of breast milk. The cases of failure of milk supply are exceedingly rare; absolute inability to suckle does not exist. Why Baby Should be Breast-fed. 1. Milk is created for the baby in the breast of the mother, therefore it is the baby’s perfect food and his 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 milk is drawn straight from the breasts into the baby’s mouth. One has only to think of tho various stages cow’s milk has to go through before it finally reaches the baby 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 has 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 and 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 nourishes the brain and nerves. So you 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 are bottle-fed. 8. Again, the mother has better health. The blood used in nourishing the child before birth is directed 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 as 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, is a great consideration with so many mothers 10. We see that the natural food produces a well-nourished and developed child who should be a joy and comfort in the home, and not a fretful, weak, sickly babe who is a constant worry to his parents.