The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

THE HEALTH BULLETIN. 119NURSING THE BABYkA baby should always be nursed byIts mother, unless the mother hastuberculosis or some other grave disease.The mother saves herself troubleby nursing her baby. When shefigures up the saving from diminishedillness and adds to it the troubleof fixing the baby's bottle duringthe night as well as the day, she findsthat she nets a gain by nursing herbaby.During the first two days the babyshould be nursed four times a dayand once at night. From the thirdday to six weeks the baby should benursed every two hours during theday and twice at night ; from six weeksto six months every three hours andonce at night; from six months to ayear, six times between 6 o'clock a. m.and 10 o'clock p. m., and not at allduring the night.In addition to milk, babies requirewater from the very first. The oldgranny who gave the baby teas wasa pretty good scientiest, though shedid not know it. Of course, the herbswhich she used to make the tea hadno particular effect, but she was givingthe baby sterilized, warmed water,and that was as it should be.After about the second month thebaby should have some orange juiceevery day. The juice should be givenfreed from pulp. The amount shouldbegin with two teaspoonfuls a dayand should be gradually increased tofour tablespoonfuls, especially wherethere is a tendency to constipation.It is much better to relieve constipationwith orange juice than by enemas,and certainly than by medicine,since babies need a little fruit juiceto correct any tendency to scurvyand rickets.That the mother may give enoughmilk to supply the baby, it is necessarythat she be free from worry andnot called upon to do a greatamount of physical labor. Emotionhas more effect on the secretion ctmilk than does the food taken. Occasionallya woman will overeat untilshe becomes obese trying to givemilk enough for her baby, and thenworry so, fearing her milk will fail,that she gains nothing for her trouble.There are no special foods whichmake milk. Beer does not; neitherdoes milk. Some women have theidea that milk taken as a food run»without much change Into milk forthe baby. This is not correct. Amother should eat good, nutritious,simple, staple food containing a gooddeal of fluids.That which she eats does not godirectly to milk. It is digested andchanged chemically thereby. It Is obsorbedand still further changedEventually it is changed Into milk.She should increase the quantity offood eaten, since, for her own use,,she needs more than she usuallydoes, and, in addition, she is eating;for the baby.The average woman nursing out*baby can supply the child with foodout of her surplus if she will keepher mind calm, her rest unbroken,and not have too much work to do.The average woman who thinks shecannot nurse her baby can do so ifshe will try.—Dr. W. A. Evans, inChicago Tribune.— —Next year a special set of priaesgoes to those babies who make thegreatest improvement during the year.Enter the baby this year to get Inon the improvement prizes next year.A poor baby has the best chance towin here.