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Page 12
_Does the nervous condition of the mother affect the milk?_
Very much more than her diet; worry, anxiety, fatigue, loss of sleep,
household cares, social dissipation etc., have more than anything else
to do with the failure of the modern mother as a nurse. Uncontrolled
emotions, grief, excitement, fright, passion, may cause milk to
disagree with the child; at times they may excite acute illness, and
at other times they may cause a sudden and complete disappearance of
the milk.
_Does menstruation affect the milk?_
In nearly all cases the quantity of milk is lessened so that the
infant is not satisfied and may gain less in weight or not at all. In
many cases the quality of the milk is also affected to such a degree
as to cause slight disturbances of digestion, such as restlessness,
colic, and perhaps some derangement of the bowels. In a few, attacks
of acute indigestion are excited.
_Is regular menstruation a reason for stopping nursing?_
Not invariably; as a rule both functions do not go on together. But if
the child is gaining regularly in weight between the periods, nursing
may be continued indefinitely, although it may be well to feed the
infant wholly or in part during the first day or two that the mother
is unwell.
_What symptoms indicate that a nursing infant is well nourished?_
The child has a good colour, sleeps for two or three hours after
nursing, or, if awake, is quiet, good-natured, and apparently
comfortable. It has normal movements of the bowels and gains steadily
in weight.
_What symptoms indicate that a child who is nursing is not properly
nourished?_
It does not gain and may even lose in weight. It no longer exhibits
its usual energy and playfulness, but is either listless and
indifferent or cross, fretful and irritable, and is apt to sleep
poorly. It grows pale and an�mic and its tissues become soft and
flabby. When the milk is scanty it will often nurse a long time at the
breasts, sometimes three quarters of an hour, before stopping. At
other times it may take the breast for a moment only, and then turn
away in apparent disgust.
_What should be done when such symptoms appear?_
This depends upon the severity of the symptoms and how long they have
lasted. If the child has made no gain for three or four weeks, or is
losing weight, immediate weaning will probably be necessary; in any
case, other food in addition to the breast milk should be given at
once. One may begin by alternating the nursing and the bottle-feeding
and increase the number of bottle-feedings as may be indicated by the
results.
_Is there any objection to a baby being partly nursed and partly fed?_
None whatever; it is often better from the outset to feed the baby
during the night, in order not to disturb the mother's rest.
_What symptoms indicate that the mother's milk disagrees with the
child?_
The child suffers from almost constant discomfort sleeps; little and
then restlessly, cries a great deal, belches gas from the stomach, and
passes much by the bowels, or if not passed, the gas accumulates and
causes abdominal distention and colicky pain. There may be vomiting,
but more often the trouble is intestinal. Sometimes the bowels are
constipated, but usually the movements are frequent, loose, green,
contain mucus and are passed with much gas.
_What should be done under these circumstances?_
If the symptoms have persisted for two or three weeks and the child is
not gaining in weight, there is little chance of improvement, and the
child should be taken from the breast at once. If there is some gain
in weight, one may try for a little longer, endeavouring to improve
the mother's milk by rest, fresh air, careful diet, etc. However, one
should always realize that the trouble is with the milk, not with the
child.
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