Preparation, Outfit, Nursing, Formulas for Preparation of Milk
for Bottle-Fed Infants; Weaning, Teething, Diet Through
Childhood, All the Baby Diseases, etc., from the Best Medical
Authority, Infant Hospitals and Nurses.
How long does pregnancy usually last? Two hundred and eighty days.
How can the time be reckoned? Count back three months from the first day
of the last menstruation and add seven days to the date thus obtained. To
be more accurate, you should add only six days in the months of April and
September, five days in December and January, and in February four days.
What time of pregnancy does the form begin to change? It changes a little
the first two months. It is flatter and lower down. After the third month
there is a progressive enlargement.
What is quickening, and when first felt? It is a motion, of the foetus
(child) in the womb, imparted to the abdominal walls, and is felt from the
sixteenth to the twentieth week. It has been said to have occurred earlier
in some cases.
Can you foretell twin pregnancy? Not to a certainty.
Can a mother influence her child as to character and temperament before
birth? Authorities differ very much upon this point. The child inherits
the physical characteristics of its parents. The frame of the mother's
mind, some think, can be given in some degree to her offspring.
Will nervousness be inherited by the child? Not invariably; if the mother
is fretful, irritable, cross, repining, etc., her child may be puny, cross
and irritable, etc.
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Do you believe in influences transmitted before birth (parental
influences?) All must admit that there is a great deal in heredity, and
the characteristics of parents are shown in their children.
Can a mother mark her baby? This is another disputed question.
When should the family physician be informed of the woman's condition? The
first month.
Why? So that the woman will know how to live properly, and also that he
will be given the urine twice each month to examine. This is for her
protection and is necessary, because anything that may be wrong with the
kidneys can be corrected much easier, and diet, etc. can be arranged to
prevent future trouble.
What kind of diet should a pregnant woman have? She should eat only
healthy articles of food. Stimulating, highly seasoned, rich, greasy foods
should be avoided. Constipation is frequently present and the diet must be
chosen with reference to that also. She should not restrict herself to one
line of diet unless it is necessary.
Should she take a daily bath, if so, what kind and when? Yes, if it does
her good. The pores of the skin should be kept open so that the kidneys
will have less work to do. Spray and baths should be taken cold or
lukewarm. Hot baths or Turkish baths are to be avoided. The time should be
at the woman's convenience. Morning is preferable, if she does not feel
the need of sleep.
Should she take a daily nap and when? Yes, one or two hours in the
forenoon, and also in the afternoon.
Should she take exercise? Yes, exercise is necessary. This promotes the
proper circulation of the blood, favors rest and sleep, relieves the
"blues," tones the whole system, gives her good wholesome air and makes
everything look better. It should not be violent. Slow walking and riding
in an easy carriage. She should not ride a horse, run, jump, dance, or do
any jerky or violent exercise; no heavy lifting or reaching up.
What about clothing? The clothing should be perfectly loose and
comfortable. Garters and corsets are injurious, especially when the
pregnancy has reached four or five months. The weight of the clothing
should be borne by the shoulders instead of the hips. Special waists can
be made for pregnant women. There should be no pressure on any part,
especially on the womb and breasts.
What is the meaning of the word enciente? The Roman women were accustomed
to wear a tight girdle about their waists which was called a cincture.
This they removed when they were pregnant. They were then said to be
incincta, or unbound. The term enciente is derived from this, and is
frequently used to indicate pregnancy.
What are the main symptoms of miscarriage? Pain and bleeding.
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Does it usually come on suddenly? Not as a rule. There are premonitory
symptoms such as bearing down feeling in the pelvis, backache, frequent
desire to pass water, a discharge from the vagina, and sometimes a little
bloody flow.
At what period is it most common? Between the ninth and sixteenth weeks
when the after-birth is forming.
What are the causes of miscarriage? Diseases of the womb, disease in the
father, constipation, falls, over-exertion, violent emotions, such as
shock, fright, anger, blows on the abdomen, over-lifting, reaching up,
sewing on machine.
What is the first thing to do? Lie down, rest and send for a doctor.
Is it ever possible to stop it? Yes, and often.
Do the breasts need any special care? The nipple, if much drawn in and
small, should be "pulled out" once or twice daily. It will do to rub sweet
oil on the breasts every evening in order to relieve the tightness and
discomfort, especially after the pregnancy has advanced some months.
Are there any diseases to which a pregnant woman is more subject? None. The
kidneys need more watching.
Can any dentistry be done during pregnancy? Not if it makes her very
nervous; but toothache can cause more harm from a diseased tooth than if
it were treated carefully.
Why do pregnant women suffer from "varicose" veins? The enlarged womb
presses upon the veins and thus obstructs the return flow of the blood. It
is not so common during the first pregnancy.
Can anything be done for this trouble? The woman should lie down a good
part of the time if possible, and also wear a perfectly fitting elastic
stocking. They can be had of any size and length. The limb should be
measured for them.
Does oiling and massaging the body do good? Some women claim it does; it
certainly puts the muscles in better condition and strengthens the muscles
of the abdomen which have so much part in the labor.
What is the morning sickness and are all women subject to it? Nausea and
vomiting without any cause. No; many escape it entirely.
At what period of pregnancy does it usually occur? During the early months
it is more frequent and troublesome.
How long does it usually last? Usually three or four months, but it may
last during the whole pregnancy.
What can be done for it? In some cases arranging the diet to prevent and
cure constipation relieves it. For fuller treatment see this heading under
Obstetrics.
Does it ever endanger life? Not often, but a physician should be called if
it is bad.
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Can any strict rules be laid down for this trouble? No, but the food
should be as concentrated as possible; egg-nog, ice cream, a bit of rare
steak, etc., raw oysters, gruels, meat broths, etc., if liquids are well
borne. It is surprising how little will keep up some women during
pregnancy.
When and how often should the urine be examined? From the beginning and
twice each month, and every week after the fifth month.
When should the nurse be called? Long enough before the expected time to
get everything ready.
What is lightening? It is caused by the womb sinking down lower in the
pelvis the last month, and this lightens the pressure upon the diaphragm
and lungs.
What are false pains? They occur during the last few weeks of pregnancy at
irregular intervals and are usually in the abdomen.
What is the bag of waters? It is a sac containing the fluid in which the
child floats while in the womb. The amount of fluid varies from a pint to
a gallon or more. When it ruptures there is a sudden flow of liquid, more
or less continuous flow. It may occur at the very beginning of labor and
is one of the signs of labor.
What are the other signs of approaching labor? A profuse discharge of
mucus from the vagina, and this may be tinged with blood. The "show" pains
begin generally in the back and are quite regular, one every twenty
minutes or half hour. (Dilatation of the womb).
How should the baby be first washed? See Obstetrics.
What clothing should be put on? See Obstetrics chapter.
Care of the eyes.--Wipe the eyelids with clean gauze and water. If there
has been much discharge from the vagina during pregnancy, the child's eyes
should be washed cleanly and also one or two drops of the one per cent
solution of silver nitrate should be put into each eye as a preventive.
(See Obstetrics).
How often should the baby's bowels move? Two or three times daily for the
first week, and then once or twice a day.
What is the appearance of the stool? It is soft, yellow and smooth and
should not contain any lumps.
How about the urine? It should pass from six to ten times a day, and it
should be colorless.
What is the average weight of a healthy baby? Seven to seven and one-half
pounds.
Does it lose any weight during the first week? Yes, generally a few
ounces, then it begins to gain at the rate of four to six ounces each
week.
Should the newly-born babe have its eyes exposed to the light? The eyes
are very sensitive, and the sun or artificial light should not be allowed
to shine on them. The first day the baby is deaf, but his hearing develops
and becomes very acute so that he is very much disturbed by sudden, sharp
noises.
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What is the "soft" spot on a baby's head? This is called the "fontanelle."
Do not touch this spot. This closes in time. At six months of age the
fontanelle is somewhat larger than it was at birth because the brain
expands faster than the boney matter deposited around the edges in the
skull bones. After this another deposit of bone goes on more rapidly than
the growth of the brain substance, and by sixteen or eighteen months the
opening should be entirely closed.
When should the baby be given the second tub bath? Not until the cord has
dropped off.
How and when should this be given? The room should be warm. The head and
face should be washed first and dried; then the body soaped and the infant
placed in the tub with its head and body well supported by the hands. The
bath should be given quickly with no special rubbing, drying with a soft
towel. (An hour after feeding).
What should be the temperature of the bath? One hundred degrees F. for the
first few weeks, later ninety-eight F. After six months ninety-five F.;
during the second year from eighty-five to ninety degrees F.
What should you use in giving the bath? Soft, clean sponges or smooth
cloths. There should be separate pieces for each eye, for the head, face
and buttocks.
What are the objections to sponges? They are very apt to become dirty and
are hard to keep clean.
When should the daily bath be omitted? In the case of infants who are
delicate and feeble, when the bath seems to harm them; in all forms of
acute sickness, unless the bath is directed. In eczema and many other
forms of skin diseases a great deal of harm is often done by soap and
water or water baths.
How should a genuine bath be given? If possible the bath should be given
in front of an open fire, in a room where the temperature is from seventy
to seventy-two F. and the draughts kept off by a large screen. Have
everything at hand with which to give the bath. A folding rubber bath-tub
is the best, next a papier-mache one; or if tin must be used, put a piece
of flannel in the tub to protect the baby from the tin. If necessary place
the tub on a low table, place another low table to the right of the one on
which the tub sets, and on this table should be the baby's basket
containing a soft brush, different sizes of pins in a pin-cushion, several
threaded needles, a thimble, squares of soft linen, absorbent cotton,
wooden tooth-picks, a powder-box and puff, or a powder-shaker containing
pure talcum powder, a box of bismuth subnitrate, one of cold cream, a tube
of white vaselin, a dish containing castile, ivory, or pure French soap
should be placed by the basket on the table; also a cup containing a
saturated solution of boric acid; two cheese-cloth washcloths, a soft
towel, a thermometer to test the water, several toothpicks on which a
little absorbent cotton is twisted, and the rolled flannel band. Then a
basin containing warm water, 98 to 100 degrees F., also one with cold
water. The baby-clothes should be hung on a rack close at hand.
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How to take care of a sore navel.--If it looks red or has a thin discharge
coming from it, wash it carefully twice a day with saturated solution of
boric acid; or if pus is there use a 1-5000 solution of bichloride of
mercury. Use for a dusting powder one part of salicylic acid and nineteen
parts of starch on it. It needs a physician's attention if it does not
soon heal.
Do any physicians advocate a daily bath before the cord drops off? Yes;
but not a full tub bath.
When does the cord drop off? In from five to ten days.
Does soap hurt a baby's skin? Some doctors claim it does.
Is it necessary to use a powder after the bath? No, if all moisture is
removed, there is no need of powder. The skin can be kept cleaner and
healthier without it.