The cry of pain is strong, sharp, but not continuous, often accompanied by
contractions of the features and drawing up of the legs. The cry of hunger
is a continuous, fretful sound, after feeding or sometime before the next
feeding. The cry of temper is loud and strong, accompanied by kicking or
stiffening of the body, and, this should never be given away to from the
first. The cry of a sick child is feeble and whining. Baby should not be
rocked to sleep, nor carried about the room.
Baby's First Meal.--He should be placed to the breast as soon as the
mother can have him. He will not get much milk for the first few days, but
he should be given the breast four or five times daily. He needs what is
then secreted and it is also good for the mother to try to nurse as soon
as possible. The baby may be given a few teaspoonfuls of boiled water
between nursing, but no teas. At the third day the milk is usually
established, and the baby should nurse regularly every two hours up to 10
p. m., and twice at night. He should not sleep in his mother's bed, but
have his own crib and be taken to her at nursing time. There is danger of
baby being smothered sleeping with its mother, and it will not sleep so
well. As a rule it is best to wash baby's mouth out before nursing, and
the mother's nipple should also be wiped off with a little boric acid
solution.
Baby's Bed.--As before stated, baby should sleep in his own crib, an iron
or brass crib without rockers is best. A screen or plain white curtain of
some wash material may be used to protect him against draughts. If this
cannot be had, he may sleep while very young in a large clothes basket
placed on two chairs. The crib should have a good woven wire mattress and
a pair of heavy airing blankets should be placed on top of the crib,
folded so as to fit the mattress; a square of rubber or any waterproof
material should come next, then a cotton sheet, a quilted pad, a second
sheet, a pair of wool crib blankets and a light counterpane. This should
be removed at night and a comfortable afghan be used in its place. The
pillow should be of hair, never of feathers or down, about one inch thick.
The bed clothes should be aired thoroughly and the heavy airing blanket be
washed occasionally and thoroughly dried and aired before it is again
used. The blanket can hang on a line out of doors on a bright sunny day
for an hour or two; in this way the blanket will be kept cleaner and will
last comfortably until baby is three years old. The baby should never be
put in a cold bed; warm the sheets before the fire just before putting
baby in his bed (or crib) or place a hot water bag between them until they
are warm. Now (second month) the baby is old enough to use his chair, not
to soil his napkin. Place a small chamber on the mother's lap and hold the
child on it, supporting his head and back. Do this exactly the same hours
every day, morning and afternoon, directly after a meal. This training
should be continued, as the position alone often goes a great way in
helping to over-come constipation or any tendency to irregularity of the
bowels that may exist. They cannot be taught not to wet the napkin until
they are some months older.
[ALL ABOUT BABY 563]
The baby needs water as much as any adult person. Boil a fresh supply
daily and cool and keep it in a covered dish or bottle. A little,--four to
eight teaspoonfuls,--should be offered to the baby between each meal. It
can be given from a spoon, a medicine dropper, or taken from a nursing
bottle, and either hot or cold. This aids in overcoming constipation and
teaches a breast-fed baby to use a nursing bottle, which will be of much
benefit should sudden weaning be necessary.
During the second month his meals should be given every two and one-half
hours during the day, having eight meals in twenty-four hours of three to
four ounces at each meal. At night he should be fed at ten and two.
Meals for the Third Month.--Baby should be regularly nursed or fed every
three hours up to ten p. m. Then have one meal at two or three a. m., and
nothing more until seven a. m. If bottle fed he should be given three and
one-half to four ounces at each feeding.
Fourth Month.--If the mother is nursing her baby, it is a good plan now to
teach him how to use the bottle. Some doctors advise one bottle feeding
each day from the start, for, should the mother's milk suddenly fail, or
should she be obliged to stop nursing for any reason, there will be no
struggle, which would be very hard for the baby if it happened in hot
weather. Also the gradual accustoming of the digestive organs to the cow's
milk before weaning must be commenced and does away in some degree, at
least, with the danger from indigestion from the cow's milk given
regularly.
Fifth Month.--Night feeding should now be discontinued; he should be
taught to sleep from ten p. m. to seven a. m. There may be a few nights of
crying and a struggle when the night feeding is first stopped, but he will
soon learn to sleep without waking for his meal. He should be fed every
three hours until ten p. m., and if bottle fed he should be given five to
six and one-half ounces at each meal, making six meals in twenty-four
hours.
Sixth Month.--The baby sleeps about two-thirds of the time. He shows signs
of increasing intelligence. The baby should now accustom itself to taking
either condensed milk or only the best prepared foods once or twice daily.
The mother may become ill or unable to nurse for some reason, or wish to
take a journey, etc., and baby is then prepared for emergencies.
When the baby is seven months old he will need more exercise than a
clothes basket will afford. An exercise pen should be made.
Teeth.--As soon as the teeth come they should be kept clean, otherwise
they will decay, milk is likely to remain in the mouth, turn sour and
gradually destroy the enamel of the teeth.
With a soft linen cloth or a piece of absorbent cotton dipped in a
solution of boric acid wash out the mouth and teeth, twice a day at least,
carefully. A soft brush may be used later when baby has eight or ten
teeth, and a little finely prepared chalk may be put on the brush, if
there are any specks on the teeth. The baby should have three meals in
twenty-four hours of six or seven ounces at each meal, if bottle-fed.
[564 MOTHERS' REMEDIES]
Eighth Month.--Baby should be allowed to creep on the floor a little or in
his pen. It is good exercise and it will benefit him, but he should not be
urged to do it. Many mothers give baby potato, etc., at this period; this
is bad, as potato is hard to digest on account of having so much starch.
Bread and cakes are also prohibited; convulsions are often caused by such
food. Milk gruel and broths are enough for the baby and he will thrive
using them. Baby should feed every three hours up to ten p. m., six and
one-half to seven and one-half ounces at each meal.
Mosquito Bites.--If baby is bitten by mosquitoes wash the spot off with a
little camphor water, soda water, or a wet compress of witch-hazel should
be kept on the bite or boracic acid or soda solution. Keep the baby from
scratching the part by fixing his hands; scratching will further poison
the part.
Flies.--They often carry germs of disease on their legs and wings, and
they frequently light on baby's mouth or on the nipple of the nursing
bottle. Diseases can be contracted in this way. The windows should be
screened. Everything that the fly has touched should be washed with some
light antiseptic solution.
Ninth Month.--His long morning nap should be encouraged and he should
sleep in the early afternoon. If the baby is heavy his little moccasin or
kid shoes will not now support his ankles and he should have a shoe with a
piece of stiffening at the side. The shoe should have no heels; laced
shoes fit better and should be preferred. The baby (bottle-fed) can take
seven to eight ounces of the proper food every three hours until ten p. m.
Tenth Month.--He can now take a little beef juice, beginning with one
teaspoonful once a day and soon twice a day; then increase to two
teaspoonfuls at a time and keep on until he is taking eight teaspoonfuls
daily.
This should be given between his regular meals. Some babies cannot take
beef juice; orange juice may then be tried, strained through cheesecloth
or fine muslin and be given at first in doses of one teaspoonful and
increased until baby gets the juice of one-half an orange.
If the mother is nursing baby and he has been given one bottle of milk
daily, as advised for a four-months-old babe, he can now have two bottle
feedings daily. Every healthy baby should be weaned when one year old, and
it is better to do it gradually in this way. The baby's food should now be
given him every three and one-half hours up to ten p. m., thus making five
meals in twenty-four hours of seven to eight ounces at each meal.
[ALL ABOUT BABY 565]
Eleventh Month.--Baby can now have added to his diet another cereal like
farina well cooked,--twice as long as the directions advise and it should
be half solid when finished. Begin with one teaspoonful and then try two.
This should be given in addition to his beef juice or orange juice. It
should come between his regular meals, which should now be given at
four-hour intervals. He should take eight or nine ounces to a meal.
Twelfth Month.--Baby should go to bed at six p. m., and take long morning
nap. He should have five meals a day of such food as directed later.