of the growing child.
The salts form a very small part of the baby's food, but an important
one, for they are needed chiefly for the bones and the blood. The
fats, sugars, proteins, and salts, taken together, form the solids of
mother's milk, and are held in solution in the proportion of thirteen
parts of solids to eighty-seven parts of water; which so holds these
solids in solution that the baby can digest and assimilate these
necessary food elements. The mother's milk increases in strength day
by day and month by month as the baby grows, and is the only perfect
infant food on earth.

THE TIME OF THE FIRST FEEDING

Soon after the birth of the baby the wearied mother seeks rest--she
usually falls into a quiet, restful slumber; the baby likewise goes to
sleep and usually does not awaken for several hours. After six or
eight hours the child is put to the breast and he begins to nurse at
once, without any special help. This first nursing should be
discontinued after four or five minutes, while he is put to the other
breast for the same length of time.

If there is difficulty in sucking, a bit of milk may be made to ooze
out on the clean nipple, while the baby's lips are pressed to it,
after which the nurse gently presses and rubs the breasts toward the
nipple. After the nursing, the nipples should be elongated, if
necessary, by rubbing, shaping, or breast pump.

The baby gets but little nourishment during the first two days, but
that which he does get is essential; for the colostrum--the first
milk--is highly laxative in nature and serves the important purpose of
cleaning out the intestinal tract of that first tarry, fecal residue,
the meconium. This early sucking of the child accomplishes another
purpose besides the obtaining of this important laxative--it also
reflexly increases the contractibility of the muscles of the womb,
which is an exceedingly important service just at this time.

Should the mother or caretaker feel that baby will starve before the
milk comes, or that it is necessary to provide "sweetened water;" let
us assure them that nothing is needed except what nature provides.
Nature makes the babe intensely hungry during these first two days, so
that he will suck well, and if he is fed sweetened water, gruel, or
anything else, he will not suck forcefully; and so nature's plan for
securing extra or increased uterine contractions and the stimulation
of the breast glands will be seriously interfered wit