Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-01-26
Your Baby and Mine
BY MYRTLE MEYER ELDRED.

Perhaps the most difficult weeks OF
any woman's life are those between
the second and the sixth week AFTER
the baby is born. For the first two
weeks she is an object of interest and
admiration and attention. And all the
burdens Of the baby are taken from
her. If the birth has been normal she
will be up and about in two weeks and
unless she can afford a nurse she will
be doing some of her own homework,
with the help of relatives or her
mother. If she felt perfectly grand
when she was in bed and itching to be
up. she will find now, not unnaturally,
that a half day on her feet, with the
cares of her baby, will about finish
her. She will find her milk is not so
abundant and just because of this the
baby will be cross with her, when he
had been a project angel with the
nurse.
Also she may find that because the
baby is being nursed by tired mother,
who has little appetite for the food she
should eat and prefers to rest instead
of taking any exercise or food. the
poor mite will react by being restless
and cross, and therefore spelling what
little chance the mother has for rest
or recreation.
Hold to this thought! It's a good
one. Almost all of the crying, fussing
and instability of the baby and weari-
ness of the mother will be over when
the baby is 6 weeks old. After this the
mother is truly back to normal and
she will find most of the cares which
have weighed her down have disap-
peared with her added strength and
the baby's added ability to meet the
burdens of this overwhelmingly novel
world. Keep on being regular in nurs-
ing periods. Keep the baby comfort
able and rest. rest. rest as much as
possible. The baby will, without
trouble. begin sleeping instead of cry
ing between feelings. The household,
SO disrupted by the new arrival. will
begin to right itself and sail on
smoothly. In this case 1t isn't the first
hundred years that are the hardest, it s
inst the first six weeks. And almost
any one can manage to stand this.
Mrs. r. II. writes: MY 515-month-old
baby weighed pounds and over at
birth, and now weighs 10 pounds Z
ounces. Is this good weight for her
age? Now this is what worries me.
Her head is very wobbly and she falls
over if / make any attempt to sit her
up. She seems to have no strength,
nd still she Is very healthy looking
and her appetite is fine. / give her
orange Juice, cereals, also cod liver OIL,
besides her regular nursing.
"My mother claims / ought to prop
her up with pillows in high char
so she can exercise her neck and make
It stronger, for 10 or Is minutes day.
What do you advise? Do you think
| she has any signs of ricketts, put
her out OF doors about four or five
hours each day, and it certainly isn't
| because of neglect that she is not
strong. She is a very good baby, sci
dom cries and is not picked up. DO
you think if held her in my lap more
she would get stronger"
AnsWer-It is never a good idea to
| force q baby to sit erect when he
| hasn't the natural strength to do 1t.
| This is too great a strain on his weak
and Inadequate muscles, but certain
amount of handling during the day is
right and good for the baby, and per-
haps your baby, because she Is so
good, is not getting enough or that.
Just holding the baby on your zap
nlaying with her, tudiciously support
| ing her head with your hand, will help
| her to get her equilibrium. There Is
| nothing at all wrong with the way
YOU are feeding her and she should
| he able to hold her head erect at this
age. Wait another half month ana
| IL she is no stronger have your ply
stefan make an examination.