OUR BABIES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1665, 4 February 1913, Page 11

OUR BABIES.

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Published under tho auspices of tho Society for the Health of Women and Children. "It is wiser to put up a fonce at tho top of a precipico than to maintain, an. ambulance at tho bottom," i ADDRESSES OF PLUNKET NURSES AND SECRETARIES. Duiiertin.—riunltet Nurse Laing. Tel. 113(1. Plunkct Nurse M'Laren. Offico of the Society, Health Department Rooms, Liverpool Street, Dunedin. Offico 'hours, daily (except Saturday and Sunday), from 3 to 4 p.m. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. Edmond, Molville Street. Tel. 53. Christchurch.—Plunkct Nurses Ellis mid Hansard. Office of the Society, Chancery Lane. Offico hours, 2to 3 p.m. daily (except Sunday). Hon. Secretary, Mrs. H. Pyne, Bealey Avenue. Tel. 265. Wellington.—Plunkct Nursa Morgan; assistant, Nurse Mackintosh. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. M'Vicar, 27 Brougham Street, City. Tel. 2G42. Auckland.—Plunket Nurses Chappell and Morgan. Tel. 851. Office of the Society, 2 Chancery Street. Tel. 829. Offico hours Tuesdays and Fridays, 2.30. to 1 p,m. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. W. H. Parkes, Marinoto, Symonds ( Street. Tel. 240. . ' Napier.-Plunkct Nurse Donald, Marine Parade. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. Hector Smith; " . New Plymouth.—Hon.- Secretary, Mrs. R. I. Matthews, Fitzroy. Tel. 104. Tima.ru.—Plunket Nurse Bowie. - Office of tho Society, Sophia Street. Tel. 314. Office hours, 3.30 to 4.30 p.m.; Saturday, 2.30 to 4 p.m.. Hon. Secretary, Mr. Ernest Howden. ■ In vercargill.—Plunket Nurse O'Shea, : Allen's Hall, Kelvin Street. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. Cruickshank, Gala Street. Haatings (Hawke's Bay).—Acting Plunket Nurse Mitchell. Offioe of the Society at Mr. Bates's Pharmacy. Hon. Secretary, Mrs. T. W. Lewis. Tel. 285. Society's Baby Hospital; KaiOtane Harris Hospital, Anderson's Bay, Dunedin; .Tel. 1985. Matron, Miss Campbell. Demonstrations on points of interest to mothers aro given by the Matron every Wednesday afternoon from 2.30 to 3,30. PLUNKET 1 NURSES' SERVICES FREE. THE SOCTETrS BOOK. ' Tho Society's little book, entitled "What Baby Needs," can be obtained from the Matron, Karitane Harris Hospital, the Plunket nurses,'the honorary secretaries,' and the leading booksellers throughout the Dominion. Price, Gd.; posted, 7d. MOTHER AND NURSE. ' Tho following is orio of a series of lettors received recently which open, up a wide question with regard to tho future well-being of our children, and we appeal to all maternity nurses to ponder over it and consider the gravo icsponsib--ility which they' incur, especially when they undertake the caro and guidance of the young mother with her first-born. A MOTHER'S LETTER. A mother in. the North Island writes:— . I have to thank you for forwarding me a copy of "What Baby Needs" and enclose herewith stamps for postage. The book arrived about threo days after my baby girl wns born, but no matter what I said the nurse insisted on nightfeedings (at such a time one does not feel strong enough to fight much against those who havo care of you!) and so baby.always wakes and screams 'till'she has a drink, though 1 have tried to'break her of the habit. However, now'. lam only giving her six feeds during tho 24 hours, as follow:—

Sho wakes at 4 in the morning for a feed (1); I bath her at half-past, 6 and feed her by 7 (2); she then sleeps, if left alone, out in the open air near the houso in tho pram till 12 midday, and I then feed her (3)s then at 3 in/the afternoon (4); bath at half-pasts and feed at 6 (5); and when I go to bed at night, between 9 and half-past (6). ■ :[ .1 have,a great, deal of work to,do, and iin-lmyl casej'T'fiiid the five hours that! get straight on end from, say, a' quarter past 7 in. tho morning till noon a very great help to ; .me, especially on -washing and ironing • days. This is far bettor than battling away at 4 o'olock in the morning trying to keep the baby quiet till Go clock 60 that, the other people in the house may get their rest. Whon I was trying to. break her from the night feeding the crying kept;,overyone clsoawako night after nighty and so I now manage as explained.

..-■ memo, bthygeia:."■■■..T The feeding' hours (4 a.m., 7 a.m., 12 noon, 3 p.m., G p.m., and 9 p.m.) which this mother has arrived at by a comnionsonso method of adjustment suited to the particular circumstances of her own life, are quite reasonable and proper, though it might be supposed that an interval of five.hours during the daytime would be prejudicial. However, this is not tho caso. Tho one thing essential in tho feeding of ,a child is absolute clock-like regularity of tho feeding hours from day to day. . But this does not mean of necessity that tho interval between. feedings should bo all equal. Wo know that in the caso of ourselves, as adults, precise edu'ality of intervals is not the main point, but that we should take each of our three meals as nearly as possible at the samo hour every, day, whether w« select 7, 12, and 5, for' instance, or 8, 1, and 7. '. ' Orio often finds that.an extra hour's interval once in the day. is a very great advantage to the mother. Say 6he i& feeding ayoung baby six times in the 24 hours at three-hourly periods, she is enabled, .by making one ot the periods four hours (say from 9 to 7 or. from 12 to 4) to get a longer interval for housework, outing, etc., and this does not appear to make the slightest difference to tho baby. . People nro inclined to bo surprised that a liftlo baby can with impunity remain nearly four hours without food during the day r Wmo. This is moroly because they have got into the habit of thinking that a young infant should .be fed every two hours or'so. Not only is such frequent feeding unnecessary, but it has been abundantly shown that it is actually harmful to the child, and almost'equally harmful to the mother. With longer intervals both mother and child get bettor Test, and we find that the tendency is for tho-breast supply to improve where this has been unsatisfactory. On the whole, for young infants, three-hourly pariods during the day are found to be the most satisfactory; but some leading authorities in Germany, espeoially Drs. Czerny and Keller, have long contended that i four-hour intervals prove quite satisfactory from the start of iifo. This method of feeding was tried at tho North-Western' Infirmary at. Chicago, and the authorities found that the babies apparently did ns well as when i'ed more frequently. I am not suggesting for a moment; that it would be advisable in general to mnko the intervals between, fowling longer than three hours, during-the first few months of life, but all mothers should clearly understand that benefit rather than harm is to be pxpected from extending one of the day periods to four hours, provided that'exactly tho same time-table is kept every doy—not a four-hour interval in the nlorning ono day and in tho aftornoon tho next day. ■

To recapitulate:— (1) Feed only six times'in the 24 hours for the first four months,' and then only five times. (2) Nora- feed in the night, say between 9 or 10 p.m. and 5 or 6 p.m. (3) Write out a tinie-tablo which will best flitit tho circumstances of your case, and strictly adhere to it. MOTHER'S LETTER CONTINUED, Baby weighed 81b. when born, and has Rained steadily each week, and to-day was 1111b— just ten weeks old. So she is thriving satisfactorily so far. "In connection with :rcgular feeding, using dummies, etc., I'think, it is the maternity.nurses rind not the mothers who require most teaching. For the first fortnight in nil cases, in eoni© even longer, the maternity iiurso is the 'boss,' and lnys the foundation of the baby's habits, and the mother has to follow on, very often, whether she wants to or not." Tho remainder of the mother's letter will l>a given nnd dealt with next week.