Baby’s Bed.—As before stated, baby should sleep in his own crib, an iron or brass crib without rockers is best. A screen or plain white curtain of some wash material may be used to protect him against draughts. If this cannot be had, he may sleep while very young in a large clothes basket placed on two chairs. The crib should have a good woven wire mattress and a pair of heavy airing blankets should be placed on top of the crib, folded so as to fit the mattress; a square of rubber or any waterproof material should come next, then a cotton sheet, a quilted pad, a second sheet, a pair of wool crib blankets and a light counterpane. This should be removed at night and a comfortable afghan be used in its place. The pillow should be of hair, never of feathers or down, about one inch thick. The bed clothes should be aired thoroughly and the heavy airing blanket be washed occasionally and thoroughly dried and aired before it is again used. The blanket can hang on a line out of doors on a bright sunny day for an hour or two; in this way the blanket will be kept cleaner and will last comfortably until baby is three years old. The baby should never be put in a cold bed; warm the sheets before the fire just before putting baby in his bed (or crib) or place a hot water bag between them until they are warm. Now (second month) the baby is old enough to use his chair, not to soil his napkin. Place a small chamber on the mother’s lap and hold the child on it, supporting his head and back. Do this exactly the same hours every day, morning and afternoon, directly after a meal. This training should be continued, as the position alone often goes a great way in helping to over-come constipation or any tendency to irregularity of the bowels that may exist. They cannot be taught not to wet the napkin until they are some months older.
[All about baby 563]
The baby needs water as much as any adult person. Boil a fresh supply daily and cool and keep it in a covered dish or bottle. A little,—four to eight teaspoonfuls,—should be offered to the baby between each meal. It can be given from a spoon, a medicine dropper, or taken from a nursing bottle, and either hot or cold. This aids in overcoming constipation and teaches a breast-fed baby to use a nursing bottle, which will be of much benefit should sudden weaning be necessary.
During the second month his meals should be given every two and one-half hours during the day, having eight meals in twenty-four hours of three to four ounces at each meal. At night he should be fed at ten and two.
Meals for the Third Month.—Baby should be regularly nursed or fed every three hours up to ten p. m. Then have one meal at two or three a. m., and nothing more until seven a. m. If bottle fed he should be given three and one-half to four ounces at each feeding.