The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-11-20
Little I alks on Babyology
By Anna steese Richardson Director Of the Better Babies
Bureau Of the Woman's Home Companion.
Sleep

The healthy baby Is sleepy BABY.
When baby does not want to sleep,
when it is restless and wakefui, one OF
two conditions exists: either 1t has
been spoiled and actually trained to pc
wakeful by a thoughtful mother, or y
is in need of medical care.
A baby comes into the world sleepy,
If well and left to his own devices
he sleeps twenty-five hours out OF ev-
cry twenty-four during the first rev
weeks of his life. The mother who
interrupts his slumber to cuddie MIN
or show him off is endangering his
health, and her future peace OF MIND
Take lesson from puppies and kit
tens. They sleep day and night. Inc
wise mother dogs and cats do not dis
turb them. The wise house-mother
tells her children not to touch or dis
turb the newborn pets. and yet she
will permit family and friends 10
break in upon the slumber of the new
born babe of the household.
Directly baby has been shered in
to the world, washed. dressed and fed,
| it goes to sleep. Unless reused Tor
feeding, it is apt to sleep many hours
This is Natures warning to mothers
/ that newborn babies need just three
things, warmth, food, sleep. And for
the future good of the household, the
/ greatest of these is sleep and the habit
| OF sleeping. When newborn baby is
permitted to sleep and trained to sleep.
the family and household routine is
not disturbed
/ The healthy baby starts life by
! sleeping three hours, and then waking
/ to be fed If the quality of the breast
milk or bottle milk fed him is sustain
ing and satisfying. the three hour in
| terval is correct. If the milk is not
/ quite heavy enough, he may awake at
| intervals of two hours and half, but
| no baby should be fed oftener than
i once in two hours. If he does not
sleep in stretches OF two hours. there
is something wrong with his genera
health or the quality of the milk he
| takes.
For two or three months, the baby
varies this monotony of eating and
sleeping only by an enforced daily bath
and an occasional crying spell. Some
babies drop right off to sleep after be
ing fed; others cry little Moderate
crying does not hurt baby nor indl
cate serious condition. 1t is abou
the only form OF exercise he has, and
In moderation, is good fur his lungs
But If his sleep is badly brokn and hi
crying is shrill and prolonged, his d
gestion is probably at fault
II the baby wakes up inside Of tw'
hours, and there is no evidence Of III
health or discomfort, the mothe
Il should let him wait, even if he erie
until the two-hour limit is up. Thi
period she can gradually increase t
: two hours and half, and then /
j. three hours. The healthy baby IS cas-
, lily trained.
OF course, dimpIed, rosy taby i
J a great temptation to the mother, es
!, pecially while she is lying restfully i
, bed, with nurse in attendance. 1t
!, so delightful to snuggle the bah
against her. to eddie his tiny fists, t
smooth his soft cheek, his silky hail
, But just the same, every time Baby
sleep is interrupted by these materis
, pettings, Mother is laying the found;
ton for future trouble. When she
up and about, with no nurse to reliey
her. and household duties to perform
! she will wish that she had traine
baby to sleep to the limit of his d
sires and inclinations.
At the third month. the baby begin
TO take notice of what goes on aroun
:. him and will lie awake little longs
!. between maps. If undisturbed. no,
ever, he will soon drop off asleep
his own sweet will
At six months he sleeps from S
: o'clock to six, straight through Il
= night, with Just one feeding at . p. j