The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-06-19
CARE OF rHE BABY IN sUNrNrEF
Nursing the Baby Prevents Summe
 Diarrahea.

A mother may. shield her baby from suffering and {sness in many ways. Her wise and loving care is never so invaluable as in the first year of the babys life. In this country thous- ands of babies under one year of age die during the summer because moth CTS who love them do not know how to take care of them.
 No other one thing a mother can do for her baby means more to him than to feed him at her own breast. Babies who are fed entirely at the breast usually do not have diarrahea, unless overfed,. but bott1e-fed babies are very likely to have this trouble, even if their milk is carefully pre- pared. This is true at all seasons of the year, but it is especially important in summer when the heat and flies make bottle feeding SO dangerous.
 The mother knows that if she gives her baby the breast she is giving him
 1. Pure n1iIlz-never sour
 2. Fresh milk. made and used as needed.
 8. Milk of the same temperature throughout the feeding.
 4. And, most important, milk made especially for and especially adapted to the needs of the baby.
 If she feeds him from 3, bottle, she is not sure of any of these things. for in no way can cows milk be made as good as breast milk
 A mother can usually nurse her baby if she has been properly cared for before the baby's birth and at the time of birth, and no mother who wants to give her baby a, good start will consent to deprive him of breast milk, at least during the first few months of life.
 A h ally on the third day, the baby may be nursed every three hours, at and a. m., at 12 noon, and at 3, and g p. n., with one feeding during the night. On the four-hour plan the nursing will come at and 10 a. m., va1s she should give him a little water which has first been boiled and cool ed.
 When the baby is four months old he should no longer be nursed at night, and at six months the mother should begin to lengthen the time between feedings a quarter of an hour each week until the length of time between nursing is four hours, If the milk is plentiful, the breasts should be nursed alternately, but it may be necessary to give both breasts at one feeding in order to satisfy the baby. The baby. requires no other 
 water, until he is eight orftnine months old.
 In some cases the mother may not have enough milk to satisfy the baby. It is then necessary to give one or more bottle feedtngs a day in addf- ton. Later articles will give direc- tions for this kind of feeding, as well as for weaning and artificial feed ing
 The nursing mother should have plenty of simple nutritious food. She should eat what she likes, provided her food cause her no indigestion, for if the mother is well the baby will usually be well. But if the mother has headaches or gas on the stomach or bowels, or has a, coated tongue, she is not properly digesting her food, and she hould try to find out what is causing the trouble.
 Fat, greasy and fried foods, uch as doughnuts, pancakes, baked beans' pies, heavy buildings and dunpings, and insufhciently cooked cereals, are among the foods that may cause indigestion.
 Fresh, well-cooked vegetables, good soups, bread and butter milk, eggs, meat, fish, poultry and fruits should form the principal part of the diet of a nursing mother. All good food is r11ilk-making food. It is better to do without tea or coffee, unless the mother has always been accustomed to them. If so, she should cut down the amount to one cup Of each drink per day. Cocoa may be used in mod crate quantities, but milk, both sweet and buttermiIk. and plenty of cold pure water, are the best drinks for the nursing mother.
 The nursing mother should have plenty of sleep at night, and should learn to relax and rest whenever the baby nurses As far as possible she should be relieved of the heaviest part of the household work, because if she is tired and worn the baby will not thrive as he should.
 ,/The nursing mother should have a full movement of the bowels every day, but should not use medicine to induce an action unless absolutely necessary. Ripe, raw fruits, stewed rhubarb and prunes and well-cooked oatmeal and other cereals are laxa- tive Graham and bran breads are mos useful in constipation. Bran bread is made as follows:
 cup of cooking InOlasses.
 teaspooTlfuI of soda.
 1 small teaspoonfu1 of salt.
 pint of sour milk butternlilk.
 quart of bran-
 pint of flour.
 Stir well, and bake for one hour in a moderate oven. It may be baked as a loaf, or m gem pahs' as PreIer- red. The bread should be moist and tender, and may be eaten freely, and it will usually have 8, good effect if used every day for weeks.
 TO keen the breasts from becoming sore. they should be washed with warm water and good castillo soap every night and after each nursing For a few weeks before the baby is born the nipples should be washed in this way every night, and covered with vaseliIe.