Usually mothers err by giving the child drink too often. If the child is the least peevish or fretful, the nipple is forced into its month to stop its crying, and the child, whether hungry or not, instinctively begins to drink. Should the fretfulness have been caused by the uneasy feelings of an overloaded stomach, this only increases the evil.
The mother must also take care that the child does not drink too much at one time. It usually indicates itself when it has had enough by with drawing from the breast. It should, therefore, be allowed to drink till it voluntarily leaves off, and should not be urged to resume it again. If, as is frequently done, the nipple be again put into the infant's mouth, the mere contact calls into play the instinctive act of sucking, with the result that more milk than is needed is taken, the stomach is overloaded and may soon indicate this by rejecting some of its load, or, if it remain, the child is uneasy and restless for some time afterwards.
It sometimes happens that a proper flow of milk is not established for several days after the birth of the child. It may be no milk is forthcoming for a day or two. In these circum stances the child should still be put to the breast occasionally to excite the gland, but it must also be regularly fed. For this purpose a mixture of one-third cows' milk and two-thirds warm water, barely sweetened with loaf-sugar, or, better still, sugar of milk, is the best. It should be given, not by spoon, but through an ordinary feeding-bottle, to accustom the child to the use ' of the nipple. As the mother's milk is gradually formed, the supply of this mixture should be diminished, till, with an abundant supply of the former, the latter is entirely withdrawn.
The first breast milk is of a peculiar character. It is thicker and of a yellower colour than ordinary breast milk, and is called colostrum. It usually acts upon the child's bowels, and aids the expulsion of the material present when the child is born, which is usually of a (lark offensive character. It is beneficial, therefore, to the child to get this first milk, and it makes it unnecessary for the child to have any other opening medicine.
A nursing mother will not take long to dim ' cover that the plalities of her milk vary with her state of health, and with the character of her diet. If she is honestly doing her duty
towards her child, she will soon regulate her own food by the one condition of its agreeing with her infant. Her food must be abundant, for it must supply the wants of herself and her child. The intervals between each of her meals ought not to be too prolonged. Four hours or thereby is as long an interval as is advisable. If she has fasted long, and, before herself taking food, suckles her infant, the child is apt to be disturbed and uneasy. The food should be plain and nourishing, abundance of milk, bread and milk, porridge and milk, milk pud dings, eggs, fish, soups, flesh and fowl, prepared in simple methods. Highly spiced dishes, with pastries and puddings, green vegetables, un cooked fruits, cheese, &c., are very likely to call forth very strong objections from the child. Every mother, however, must determine for herself what she can safely take, so far as her child is concerned, for what one mother dare not take without exciting screaming fits in her child, another mother can take without her infant being the least disturbed.
As a rule stimulants are not necessary or desirable. If, however, a mother has reason to believe that her milk is not sufficiently nour ishing to the child, its quality may often be improved by her taking about one-third of a pint of good stout to dinner, and perhaps the same quantity towards evening.
The milk is profoundly affected by the mother's state of mind and body. If she has been over-fatigued, if she has been worried or annoyed, her child is likely to suffer, and to add to her troubles. But nothing so quickly and seriously affects the quality of the milk as sudden emotion, passion, or excitement of any kind, a sudden fear, or fright, &c. The bad effects exhibited in the child are sometimes extremely serious and prolonged. Therefore a mother should endeavour to maintain an equable and calm frame of mind. She should avoid all undue excitement; pleasurable or painful. She should always have her due amount of sleep, and a daily moderate amount of exercise.