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Hygiene of Lactation.One of the most common and persistent errors in nursing is the habit of using the breast as a means for stopping the child's crying. This is doubtless a matter of temporary convenience, but one which reacts with pernicious effect upon both parties subsequently. The child which nurses satisfactorily every two hours, does not need and cannot digest more food ; if it cries, the cause must be sought in other grounds than hunger. After the first two or three months the intervals between nursing may be lengthened to three or even four hours by day, and at night the child's nursing may be restricted to three or even two occasions. Indeed, if the task of nursing be evidently too much for the mother, it is well for her to refrain entirely at night, when tne child may be fed artificially. The evidence of over-nursing occurs in the form of general debility, languor, headache, pains in the back and shoulders, sometimes derangements of vision or hearing. These often disappear if the regularity in nursing, to which attention has been called, be enforced. It is generally known that the mental condition exercises marked influence upon the composition of the milk. Many stories are told - some of them doubtless true - of the disastrous effects induced upon children by giving them the breast immediately after a period of excitement; and it is certainly true that a woman laboring under constant anxiety or mental strain of any sort is not apt to furnish proper sustenance for a nursing child. It follows, therefore, that the maintenance of proper mental balance, the avoidance of excessive emotion or mental effort, should evidently be one factor in the hygiene of lactation. A healthy woman can usually furnish all the nourishment required by her infant during the first five or six months of its existence. During this time the child requires no other food than that obtained from the mother. During the early months the infant requires feeding from ten to fifteen times per day ; but as time advances it becomes capable of absorbing more food at one time, and of satisfying its hunger by indulgence at greater intervals. During the fourth month the child rarely requires feeding more than five or six times in twenty-four hours. A woman's capacity for the secretion of milk rarely exceeds two or three pints ; and as this amount of nourishment is scarcely sufficient to sustain a child of six or seven months, it usually becomes necessary to add artificial food from this time onward. Yet, in the interest of both, the child should not be deprived of its mother's assistance before the completion of its first year. The most troublesome complications of nursing arise from fissures and abrasions of the nipple. The treatment of these must usually be left to the medical attendant, and even then often prove extremely obstinate. The woman herself can, however, accomplish considerable in the way of preventing these accidents ; to do this she may attend to two objects -the hardening of the nipples and their protection from injury by her clothing. As has been already indicated, the preparation of the nipples for nursing should begin some two or three months before delivery, and should consist of ablutions with cool soft water and gentle friction from the sixth month of pregnancy onward ; during the last month or two the wash for the nipple should be employed morning and night. This may consist of equal parts of glycerine and cologne water ; to this there may be added, if the nipples be at all tender, a little borax. After delivery, considerable protection can be afforded by the use of an ointment made by mixing finely-powdered gum arabic with pure lard. Protection against the clothing can usually be secured by simple attention to the arrangement of the dress ; but if there be, notwithstanding, decided tenderness of the nipples, protection can be afforded by the use of nipple-shields. If abrasions occur during nursing they may be sometimes healed by the application of astringent ointments. In the preparation of these, care must be taken not to use any substance which could be injurious to the child. One of the best applications may be obtained at the drug store by asking the druggist to make an ointment of the following ingredients : Tannic acid, - Three grains. Glycerine, - One drachm. Simple cerate, - - . - One ounce. This may be applied to the nipple three or four times a day, care being taken to remove it and cleanse the nipple before the child is applied to the breast. Fissures of the nipple - often called chaps - are even more annoying than abrasions ; the application of the ointment just mentioned, not merely upon, but in the fissure, will sometimes bring relief; if not, and if the use of the artificial nipple be also .unsuccessful, the matter should be placed in professional hands without delay, since such fissures, when neglected, may render nursing impossible. It will be well to avoid any experimentation with different remedies that may be recommended by friends, since such efforts usually result merely in aggravating the condition. Another unfortunate complication of nursing is what is termed milk abscess, which sometimes supervenes upon sore nipples, though it may occur also without this provocation ; it is the general belief that its formation is often due to an injudicious application of the breast pump. The beginning of the inflammation which subsequently results in abscess formation, is usually indicated by chills, often severe and repeated, and by a sharp pain in a particular part of the breast, aggravated by nursing. In the course of one or two days considerable fever supervenes, accompanied by extreme tenderness of the breasts on pressure. The pain caused by the application of the child is so severe that the organ is no longer used for nursing. It is sometimes possible at this early stage to cut the process short by the use of evaporating lotions, and by the exercise of care to prevent the accumulation of milk within the organ. In most instances, however, these measures fail; there forms at the site of the pain and tenderness a hard knot which is soon surrounded by a swollen and doughy area. After a variable time - a few days to several weeks-this knot becomes soft and less exquisitely tender; the neighboring portion of the breast, or even the entire organ, is greatly swollen, hot and red ; oftentimes the skin appears glazed. These signs indicate the formation of matter within the organ - a condition often indicated by renewed chills. Sometimes the first abscess formation is followed by the appearance of other abscesses in different parts of the breast; and it may happen that after the first has disappeared other abscesses will be formed weeks or months later. The treatment of this affection must be relegated immediately to the physician ; the symptoms are detailed above merely that the nature of the affection may be early recognized, and hence prompt measures be taken to avert the more serious results. In the majority of cases it becomes absolutely necessary to open the abscess - a proceeding which is, in the more favorable instances, followed by speedy disappearance of the symptoms. Yet it must be confessed that the most skillful treatment is often futile in preventing tedious and exhausting disease of the organ. But first, if you want to come back to this web site again, just add it to your bookmarks or favorites now! Then you'll find it easy! Also, please consider sharing our helpful website with your online friends.
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