Advice to a wife and mother in two parts

by Pye Henry Chavasse

630. Let the above advice be borne in mind, and much trouble, misery, and annoyance might be averted. Nature, in the majority of cases, manages these things much better than any nurse possibly can do, and does not, as a rule, require helping. The breasts are sadly too much interfered and messed with by nurses, and by nurses who are, in other respects, tolerably good ones.

STATED TIMES FOR SUCKLING.

631. A mother ought to suckle her baby at stated times. It is a bad habit to give him the bosom every time he cries, regardless of the cause; for be it what it may—over-feeding, griping, “wind,” or acidity—she is apt to consider the breast a panacea for all his sufferings. “A mother generally suckles her infant too often—having him almost constantly at the bosom. This practice is injurious both to parent and to child. For the first month he should be suckled about every hour and a half; for the second month, every two hours; gradually, as he becomes older, increasing the distance of time between, until at length he has the breast about every four hours. If he were suckled at stated periods he would only look for it at those times, and be satisfied.”[^[113]]

632. A mother frequently allows her babe to be at the bosom a great part of every night. Now, this plan is hurtful both to her and to him; it weakens her, and thus enfeebles him; it robs them both of their sleep; and generates bad habits, which it will be difficult to break through; it often gives the mother a sore nipple and the child a sore mouth.

633. It is surprising how soon an infant, at a very early age, may, by judicious management, be brought into good habits; it only requires, at first, a little determination and perseverance: therefore a nursing mother ought at once to commence by giving the child the breast at stated periods, and she should rigidly adhere to the times above recommended.

634. A mother should not, directly after taking a long walk, and while her skin is in a state of violent perspiration, give her baby the bosom; the milk being at that time in a heated state, will disorder the child’s bowels, or it may originate in him some skin disease, and one which it might be difficult to cure. She ought, therefore, before she gives him the breast, to wait until the surface of her body be moderately cool. Let her be careful the while not to sit in draughts.

CLOTHING.

635. A nursing mother ought to have her dress, more especially her stays, made loose and comfortable.

636. A gathered breast sometimes arises from the bones of the stays pressing into the bosom; I should, therefore, recommend her to have the bones removed.

637. If a lady be not in the habit of wearing a flannel waistcoat, she ought at least to have her bosoms covered with flannel, taking care that there be a piece of soft linen over the nipples.