The Beginning of Life 55 



upon the chest or abdomen. Clothing that is 

 so arranged as to be suspended largely from 

 the shoulders is well adapted for this period. 

 Shoes with low heels should be worn, as the 

 high heels in vogue put an undue strain upon 

 the spine and lower abdomen. 



There is no scientific proof that special forms 

 of diet have any influence upon the development 

 of the child, but the food should be nourishing 

 and digestible. The free drinking of pure water 

 between meals and at bedtime is beneficial by 

 keeping the kidneys in good working order. 

 The bowels must act once daily at regular time. 



Special care should be given to the breasts 

 and nipples. Breast feeding after birth often 

 fails from lack of early attention. Tender nip- 

 ples that soon become cracked or sore, or de- 

 pressed nipples that cannot be grasped by the 

 infant, often result in nursing failures. We 

 must always remember that the loss of breast 

 feeding is an important cause of infant mor- 

 tality. By gentle massage of the nipples dur- 

 ing the last few months of pregnancy, perhaps 

 with cocoa-butter or vaseline, and by using 



