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_How long should the child be kept at the breast for one nursing?_

Not over twenty minutes.

_Should the child take both breasts at one nursing?_

If the milk is very abundant one breast may be sufficient, otherwise
both breasts may be taken.

_What are the important things to be attended to in nursing?_

First, regularity; it is just as important as in the case of
bottle-feeding. Secondly, the nipples should be kept clean by being
washed after every nursing.

_What should be the diet of a nursing mother?_

She should have a simple but generous diet with plenty of fluids;
three regular meals may be given and gruel, milk, or cocoa at bed-time
and sometimes between meals. She may take eggs, cereals, most soups,
and nearly all vegetables, avoiding sour fruits, salads, pastry, and
most desserts. Meat should not be taken more than twice daily, and in
many cases but once. She should take but little tea or coffee, and
ordinarily no wine or beer.

_Are fruits likely to disturb a nursing infant?_

Sour fruits in some cases may do so, but sweet fruits and most cooked
fruits are useful.

_What else is important in the life of the nursing mother?_

She should lead a simple natural life; should have regular out-of-door
exercise, preferably walking or driving, as soon after her confinement
as her condition will permit. She should have regular movements from
the bowels daily. She should be as free as possible from unnecessary
cares and worry; her rest at night should be disturbed as little as
possible; she should lie down for at least one hour in the middle of
the day.

_Does the nervous condition of the mother affect the milk?_

Very much more than her diet; worry, anxiety, fatigue, loss of sleep,
household cares, social dissipation etc., have more than anything else
to do with the failure of the modern mother as a nurse. Uncontrolled
emotions, grief, excitement, fright, passion, may cause milk to
disagree with the child; at times they may excite acute illness, and
at other times they may cause a sudden and complete disappearance of
the milk.

_Does menstruation affect the milk?_

In nearly all cases the quantity of milk is lessened so that the
infant is not satisfied and may gain less in weight or not at all. In
many cases the quality of the milk is also affected to such a degree
as to cause slight disturbances of digestion, such as restlessness,
colic, and perhaps some derangement of the bowels. In