The ABCs of Breastfeeding: A Guide to a Healthy Nursing Plan
The Importance of a Nursing Plan for Breastfeeding Infants
The ABC of Breastfeeding emphasizes the importance of
a nursing plan that should be followed from the moment an infant is put to the
breast. The plan is critical to the health of the child and the nursing parent,
who must maintain good health to produce healthy, digestible milk. If a mother
impairs her health and digestion by improper diet, lack of exercise, and impure
air, it is impossible to expect that she can provide wholesome and
uncontaminated milk for her child. Any illness or poor health condition of the
nursing parent can affect the infant.
Misconceptions about Diet for Nursing Mothers
It is a common misconception that nursing mothers
should increase their food and add wine, porter, or other fermented drinks to
their diets. This plan causes an unnatural degree of fullness in the system,
putting the nursing parent at risk of disease, and frequently stopping
milk
secretion. Nursing mothers should pay attention to the ordinary laws of health.
If they have sound constitutions, they will make better nurses by adhering to a
healthy diet and exercise routine.
Misguided Plan to Increase Breast Milk Supply with Porter and the Case of Its Adverse Effects on Parent and Child
The case of a young lady who started taking a pint to
a pint and a half of porter daily to enhance her milk supply proves that the
plan is misguided. Although the mother's milk supply was ample, she was told
that porter was necessary, and her milk and strength would fail without it. The
mother became drowsy, had a headache, thirst, hot skin, and fever, and the
infant's stomach and bowels became disordered. After stopping the porter and
prescribing remedial measures, both parent and child recovered. Recommending
that the mother follow her pre-motherhood diet with the addition of half a pint
of barley milk in the morning and night ensured excellent health for both
parent and child during the remaining period of breastfeeding.
Recommended Nursing Plan for Infants in the First Few Weeks of Life
The plan to follow for the first six months is to feed
the infant a little thin gruel or one third water and two thirds milk,
sweetened with loaf sugar until the breastmilk is fully established, which may
take up to two to three days. The infant should obtain its nourishment from the
breast alone, and for a week or ten days, the mother should follow the infant's
appetite as to the frequency of breastfeeding. At the expiration of a week or
so, it is essential to nurse the infant at regular intervals of three or four
hours, day and night, to allow sufficient time for each meal to be digested and
keep the infant's bowel movements in order. Such regularity can also obviate
fretfulness and constant crying. New mothers should avoid assuming that every
expression of uneasiness is an indication of appetite and offering the breast at
every cry.
In conclusion, the following a
proper nursing plan is crucial for the health of both the nursing parent and
the infant. It is essential to adhere to a healthy diet and exercise routine,
avoid consuming alcohol, and pay attention to one's health and digestion. A
case study demonstrated that the misguided plan to increase food and
consuming fermented drinks can cause harm to both the nursing parent and the
infant. The recommended plan for the first six months is to feed the infant a
little thin gruel or sweetened milk until the breastmilk is fully established,
followed by nursing at regular intervals. New mothers should avoid assuming
every expression of uneasiness as an indication of appetite and offering the
breasts at every cry. By following these guidelines, nursing parents can provide
wholesome and uncontaminated milk for their child and ensure excellent health
for both themselves and their infant.
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