The Physical Life of Woman: Advice to the Maiden, Wife and Mother

by George H. Napheys

Certain articles of food render the milk acid, and thus induce colicky pains and bowel complaints in the child. Such, therefore, as are found, in each individual case, to produce indigestion and an acid stomach in the mother, should be carefully avoided by her.

Retention of the milk in the breasts alters its character. The longer it is retained, the weaker and more watery it becomes. An acquaintance with this fact is of practical importance to every mother; for it follows from it, that the milk is richer the oftener it is removed from the breast. Therefore, if the digestion of the child is disordered by the milk being too rich, as sometimes happens, the remedy is to give it the breast less frequently by which not only is less taken, but the quality is also rendered poorer. On the contrary, in those instances in which the child is badly nourished and the milk is insufficient in quantity, it should be applied oftener, and the milk thus rendered richer.

The milk which last flows is always the richest. Hence, when two children are nursed, the first is the worse served.

INFLUENCE OF PREGNANCY ON THE MILK.

Menstruation is ordinarily absent, and pregnancy therefore impossible, during the whole course of nursing, at least during the first nine months. Sometimes, however, mothers become unwell at the expiration of the sixth or seventh month; in rare instances, within the first five or six weeks after confinement. When the monthly sickness makes its appearance without any constitutional or local disturbance, it is not apt to interfere with the welfare of the infant. When, on the contrary, the discharge is profuse, and attended with much pain, it may produce colic, vomiting, and diarrhœa in the nursling. The disturbance in the system of the child ordinarily resulting from pregnancy in the mother is such that, as a rule, it should be at once weaned so soon as it is certain that pregnancy exists. The only exceptions to this rule are those cases in the city, during the hot months, in which it is impossible either to procure a wet-nurse or to take the child to the country to be weaned. In cold weather an infant should certainly be weaned, if it has attained its fifth or sixth month, and the mother has become pregnant.

INFLUENCE OF THE MOTHER'S MIND OVER THE NURSING CHILD.

We have spoken, in treating of mothers' marks, of the influence of the mother's mind upon her unborn offspring. The influence of the maternal mind does not cease with the birth of the child. The mother continues during the whole period of nursing powerfully to impress, through her milk, the babe at her breast. It is well established, that mental emotions are capable of changing the quantity and quality of the milk, and of thus rendering it hurtful, and even dangerous, to the infant.

The secretion of milk may be entirely stopped by the action of the nervous system. Fear, excited on account of the child which is sick or exposed to accident, will check the flow of milk, which will not return until the little one is restored in safety to the mother's arms. Apprehension felt in regard to a drunken husband, has been known to arrest the supply of this fluid. On the other hand, the secretion is often augmented, as every mother knows, by the sight of the child, nay, even by the thought of him, causing a sudden rush of blood to the breast known to nurses as the draught. Indeed a strong desire to furnish milk, together with the application of the child to the breast, has been effectual in bringing about its secretion in young girls, old women, and even men.

Sir Astley Cooper states that 'those passions which are generally sources of pleasure, and which when moderately indulged are conducive to health, will, when carried to excess, alter, and even entirely check the secretion of milk.'

But the fact which it is most important to know is, that nervous agitation may so alter the quality of the milk as to make it poisonous. A fretful temper, fits of anger, grief, anxiety of mind, fear, and sudden terror, not only lessen the quantity of the milk, but render it thin and unhealthful, inducing disturbances of the child's bowels, diarrhœa, griping, and fever. Intense mental emotion may even so alter the milk as to cause the death of the child. A physician states, in the Lancet, that, having removed a small tumour from behind the ear of a mother, all went on well until she fell into a violent passion. The child being suckled soon afterwards, it died in convulsions. Professor Carpenter records in his Physiology two other fatal instances: in one, the infant put to the breast immediately after the receipt of distressing news by the mother, died in her arms in the presence of the messenger of the ill-tidings; in the other, the infant was seized with convulsions on the right side and paralysis on the left, on sucking directly after the mother had met with an agitating occurrence. Another case of similar character may be mentioned. A woman while nursing became violently excited on account of a loss she had just met with from a theft. She gave her child the breast while in an intense passion. The child first refused, but ultimately took it, when severe vomiting occurred. In the course of some hours the child took the other breast, was attacked at once with violent convulsions, and died in spite of all that could be done for it.