Will the milk of the mother be affected by nervousness?  Yes, more so than by her diet; worry, anxiety, fatigue, loss of sleep, household duties, society functions, have an injurious effect upon the child.  Mother’s grief, excitement, anger, passion, act upon the child through the milk.

How does the return of the menstruation affect the milk?  The quantity is lessened, the infant is not satisfied.  Sometimes the quality is affected and the child may suffer from restlessness, colic, and acute indigestion.

Should regular menstruation prohibit nursing?  Not always; as a rule both functions do not go together.  If the child thrives, it can keep on nursing, although it might be well to feed the infant, at least partly, during the period.

[568 Mothers’ remedies]

How can you determine that the baby is well nourished?  Good color, sleep for two hours after nursing, is quiet, good-natured and comfortable when awake; has normal bowel movements, three stools daily and gains gradually in weight.

How can you tell when a baby is poorly nourished?  It neither gains nor loses weight; it is listless, tired, indifferent, cross, fretful, irritable and sleeps poorly.  It looks pale, anemic, and it becomes soft and flabby.  If the milk is scanty, it nurses long; at other times it tries the breast and turns away seemingly disgusted.

What should be done?  This depends upon the conditions; should the child gain nothing for three or four weeks or lose weight, immediate weaning may be necessary; at least other food must be given in addition to the breast food.  Feeding may be alternated with the breast nursing.

How do the symptoms show when the mother’s milk disagrees?  The child, is in constant discomfort; it sleeps little, is restless, cries much, gulps up gas, passes it by the bowels, or it accumulates in the bowels causing colic.  There may be vomiting, but more often bowel trouble.  The bowels may be constipated but usually there is diarrhea—­frequent, loose, green, with mucus and gas.

What should you do in such a case?  If the child does not gain or loses weight and there is little chance of improvement in the mother’s milk, the child should be weaned immediately.  If the child gains in weight, try a little longer to improve the mother’s milk.

Why do some babies nurse so often?  The milk does not satisfy.

When the baby has thrush, should the mother take special care of the breasts?  Yes, they should be cleaned after every nursing.

How much does the baby’s stomach hold at birth?  Six to seven teaspoonfuls.

Is vomiting a healthy sign in infants?  Frequent vomiting is not natural; see if his bands are too tight; find out if he has been danced or handled after nursing.

When is it harmful?  When it is frequent.  If it comes up directly after a meal looking just as it was when taken, the child may be over-fed.