NURSING FROM THE BREAST MADE EASY.
After the lapse of two or three hours, the mother is likely to feel
concerned for her child; but, should both incline to be quiet, neither
should be awakened for the purpose of nursing. Too early an attempt to
put the child to the breast is frequently the cause of much unnecessary
pain to the mother. Before a child is put to the breast, all soiled
linen must be removed from the mother, the face, neck, breasts, hands,
and under the arms well wiped with a cloth wrung out of warm water, then
covered with a clean flannel chemise open at the nipple. Bay Rum may be
added to the water if required. The private parts should be well wiped
under cover, greased with lard, and covered with a large, warm napkin,
after which a wide bandage should be buttoned on. The babe will not
suffer by waiting. The greater number of women afford milk enough in a
few hours to supply the needs of their young. The exceptions being
either from some malformation or a watery condition of the blood. When
the milk pores are free, the child can obtain enough to satisfy it in a
short time. If, on the contrary, the glands are hard or unbroken, as
they most always are in case of a first child, it becomes the
indispensable duty of the nurse to soften the glands, and start the milk
running; as it is impossible for the babe to do it by a few draws with
its tongue. The glands may be softened by the following means: Besmear
the hands with warm goose or olive oil, and anoint the breasts slowly
and evenly from under the arms down to the nipple, until the glands
soften and the milk begins to flow; after which nipple cups should be
kept on in the intervals of nursing. Chapped or bleeding nipples may be
cured by frequent sponging off with warm salt water. If through neglect
an abscess gets ahead, it should be encouraged to suppurate in one spot,
by the application of warm poultices of flaxseed meal, salt, hops, or
honey and flour, and when ripe opened with the lancet; the babe
continuing to suck through the artificial teat.
Those manufactured by Robert R. Kent are invaluable.
If, after the milk has appeared, the glands harden and the milk veins
become knotty and painful, I also make use of the following means to
relieve quickly: Steep half an ounce of Indian Posy, or Life Everlasting
herb, in a pint of water. Oil the hands, and bathe in the same way I
have described, with the decoction as hot as can be borne, the patient
being in an easy, half sitting posture. In the intervals of rest, she
should drink a teacupful quite hot, with or without sugar. When the
tumor is considerably advanced, the process of breaking it up is often
very painful, and may even cause fainting; but relief is sure if the
work is patiently performed and courageously endured. The pain of that
is light compared to the torture, for weeks together, of abscesses. The
herb has no more specific action than that of relaxing the system
through the aid of the absorbents or sweat glands. It relaxes the skin,
and is safe to drink as a diet to increase the flow of milk. A child may
be born perfectly healthy, yet even for days be slow to take hold of the
nipple; whereas many seize hold at once. The friends fret and declare
the babe is starving, if it does not desire to suck. If they could only
read the meaning in those little eyes as they open and shut, they would
know the secret—rest, simply rest, preparatory to the task. Many young
mothers have no prominence to the nipple, so that neglect on the part of
the nurse may cause such to lose the benefits of suckling. A friendly
adult or child could soon draw out the nipple by sucking so that the
babe can get hold; after which the nipple cups should be kept in
constant use, till the babe is strong enough to keep the glands soft,
and the nipple pliable. Usually, at this juncture, all sorts of teas are
suggested: molasses water, milk and sugar and water; and should the
child dare to cry, after the plentiful administration of one or all
these teas, up steps an experienced old friend, or grandma, who declares
that it must have “catnip tea.” So the world-renowned catnip tea is
authoritatively given, while are related the many cases in which the
drug was known to have cured wind colic, and how it quiets and fattens
generally. Only when the child belches, and refuses to let any more go
down its throat, does the pouring in cease. And even this is sometimes
taken as an indication that the babe is full, and needs to be trotted to
make room for more. Some babes are eager to suck at birth, even seizing
hold of the sponge as it passes the mouth in washing the face. If babes
are not fed just when they fret and whine, some knowing ones say they
“suck wind.” Well, is it not natural that they should suck wind, since
they are in the world? If they are allowed to lie quietly for a few
hours, and are then given a few drops of sweet cream or milk, without
sugar, they will give scarcely any trouble, and in due time nature will
furnish strength to obtain with ease the amount of nourishment suitable
to the delicate organs of digestion. It frequently happens that a babe
has a rattling or wheezing noise in its throat, or air-tubes; in such
cases, a feather has usually been recommended with which to tickle the
back part of the tongue. I always wet the feather, to lay the down. The
tickling excites a coughing or gagging, which dislodges the phlegm, so
that it can be hooked out with the finger. There are reasons for
suspecting that many new-born infants have strangled to death from this
cause. I do not mean to cast any reflections when I say that a physician
is not likely to be informed of the fact, until it is too late to remove
the difficulty. And as the wheezing may assume the same sound as that of
catarrh, cold in the air-tubes, bronchitis or croup, the real cause may
be lost sight of. Promptness is all that is required when any such
trouble presents. The fumes of tobacco, whiskey, smoking lamps or
stoves,—also wetting the nipple with spittle when eating snuff, each of
these may not only be disagreeable to a young infant, but may sicken it
and cause instant death. It is true, however, that many children have
survived all of these disadvantages, but who can tell how much has been
taken from their health, and length of days. Infants should be nursed
frequently at first, to give them a good start; they seldom suck more
than they need. But from the beginning they should be fed, then laid
down. As they grow older they will nurse well, and expect to lie down
afterwards. Early and regular habits of nursing prevent the liability to
mammary abscesses, ovarian or uterine tumors. Hence, suckling a child as
soon as convenient after birth, not only serves to quicken the vitality
of the new being by cleansing the bowels and supplying new blood, but it
also serves to clear out the system of the mother.