The occupation of wet nurse, however, was a very old one, though her function was not only keeping infants nourished. It had long been recognized that mother's milk was necessary to sustain life, but it was also believed to contain magical powers; including the ability to heal.
Therefore, they would often be summoned to the deathbed of the aged and infirm, where they would breastfeed the patient in hopes of restoring their health and youthful disposition. Sir Francis Drake's father was tended in this way, and though he still died, he at least died happy.
2. The mother's milk is the natural food, and nothing can fully take it's place. It needs no feeding for the first few days as it was commonly deemed necessary a few years ago. The secretions in the mother's breasts are sufficient.
3. ARTIFICIAL FOOD - The best artificial food is cream reduced and sweetened with sugar of milk. Analysis shows that human milk contains more cream & sugar and less casein than the milk of animals.
5. WEANING - The weaning of the child depends much upon the strength and condition of the mother. If it does not occur in hot weather, from nine to twelve months is as long as the child should be nursed.
6. FOOD IN WEANING - Infants cry a great deal during weaning, but a few days of patient perserverance will overcome all difficulties. Give the child purely a milk diet. Graham bread, milk crackers and milk, or a little milk thickened with boiled rice, a little jelly, applesauce, etc.
7. RETURN OF THE MENSES - If the menses return while the mother is nursing, the child should at once be weaned for the mother's milk no longer contains sufficient nourishment. In case the mother should become pregnant while the child is nursing, it should at once be weaned, or serious results will follow in the health of the child.
8. CARE OF THE BOTTLE - If the child is fed on the bottle, great care should be taken in keeping it absolutely clean. Never use white rubber nipples. A plain form of bottle with a black rubber nipple is preferable.
9. CHAFING - One of the best remedies is powdered lycopodium; apply it everytime the baby is cleaned; but first wash with castile soap; Pear's soap is also good. A preparation of oxide of zinc (many diaper rash creams tody use zinc), is also highly recommended. Chafing sometimes results from an acid condition of the stomach; in that case give a few doses of castoria.
10. COLIC - If an infant is seriously troubled with colic, there is nothing better than camomile or catnip tea. Procure the leaves and make tea and give it as warm as the babe can bear.
2. CAUSE - A sore nipple is frequently produced by the injudicous custom of allowing the child to have the nipple almost constantly in his mouth. Another frequent cause of a sore nipple is from the babe having the canker. Another cause of sore nipple is from the mother, after the babe has been sucking, putting up the nipple wet. She, therefore, ought always to dry the nipple, not by rubbing, but by dabbing it with a soft cambric or lawn handkerchief, or with a soft linen rag.
3. REMEDIES - One of the best remedies for a sore nipple is the following powder:
Borax, one drachm
Powdered starch, seven drachms
Mix - A pinch of the powder to be frequently applied to the nipple. If this does not cure try Glycerine applying it each time after nursing.
5. TIGHT LACERS - Tight lacers will have to pay the penalties of which they little dream. Oh, the monstrous folly of such proceedings. When will mothers awake from their lethargy? It is high time that they did so! From the mother having "no nipple", the effects of tight-lacing, many a home has been made childless, the babe not being able to procure it's proper nourishment, and dying in consequence!
6. BAD BREAST - A gathered bosom or "bad breast" as it is sometimes called, is more likely to occur after a first confinement and during the first month. A gathered breast is frequently owing to the carelessness of a mother in not covering her bosoms during the time she is suckling. Too much attention cannot be paid to keeping the breast warm.
7. ANOTHER CAUSE - Another cause of gathered breasts arises from a mother sitting up in bed to suckle her babe. He ought to be accustomed to take the bosom while she is lying down; if this habit is not at first instituted, it will be difficult to adopt it afterwards.
8. FAINTNESS - When a nursing mother feels faint, she ought immediately to lie down and take a little nourishment; a cup of tea with the yolk of an egg beaten up in it, or a cup of warm milk, or some beef-tea, any of which will answer the purpose.
9. STRONG PURGATIVES - Strong purgatives during this period are highly improper, as they are apt to give pain to the infant, as well as to injure the mother
10. HABITUALLY COSTIVE - When a lady who is nursing is habitually costive, she ought to eat brown instead of white bread. This will, in the majority of cases, enable her to do without aperient. Treacle instead of butter on the brown bread increases it's efficiacy as an aperient; and raw should be substituted for lump sugar in tea.
11. TO PREVENT CONSTIPATION - Stewed prunes, or stewed French plums, or stewed Normandy pippens, are excellent remedies to prevent constipation. The patient ought to eat every morning ten or twelve of them.
12. COLD WATER - A tumblerful of cold water, taken every morning, sometimes effectively relieves the bowels; indeed few people know the value of cold water as an aperient. An injection of warm water is one of the best ways to releive the bowels.
13. WELL-COOKED VEGETABLES - Although a nursing mother ought, more especially if she be costive, to take a variety of well-cooked vegetables, such as potatoes, asparagus, cauliflower, French beans, spinach, stewed celery and turnips; she should avoid eating greens, cabbages and pickles; as they would be likely to affect the babe, and might cause him to suffer from gripings, from the pain, and "looseness" of the bowels.
14. SUPERSEDE THE NECESSITY OF TAKING PHYSIC - Let me again - for it cannot be too urgently insisted upon - strongly advise a nursing mother to use every means in the way of the diet, etc. to supersede the necessity of taking physic (medicine), as the repition of aperients injures, and that severely, both herself and child. Moreover, the more 'opening medicines' she swallows, the more she requires; so that if she once gets into the habit of regularly taking physic, the bowels will not act without them. What a miserable existence to be always swallowing physic.
