A former graduate student has sent me a book he found in an old book store,
titled Obstetrical Nursing.  It was first published in 1922, and this is the
1935 edition.  It is by Carolyn Conant Van Blarcom, R.N., who taught
obstetrical nursing and the care of infants and children at the Johns
Hopkins Hospital Training School for Nurses.  She is also listed as the
author of "The Midwife in England" and "Getting Ready to be a Mother."  I
will post selections from the chapters relevant to breastfeeding -- they are
very interesting.  I won't post a huge one now, maybe short ones over the
next few days.

Chapter XV  The Nursing Mother

Not infrequently the nurse remains with her patient after the end of the
puerperium, and therefore she may have the care of the mother and baby for
several weeks, or even months.  The most valuable service which she can
perform in this capacity is to help in making it possible for the mother to
nurse her baby at the breast.

Both nurse and mother must realize the value of the protection afforded the
baby by breastfeeding--provided, of course, that the milk is adequate in
character and amount (see Chapter XVI).  A properly nourished breast-fed
baby is markedly less suceptible to disease and infection than the
bottle-fed baby.  In fact, its chances for life are estimated at three or
four times the chances of the bottle-fed baby.  The first step is to
convince the young mother of the value of satisfactory breast feeding, and
also that, except under very rare and unusual conditions, she can nurse her
baby if she is willing to make the necessary effort and sacrifice.

The contraindications for breast feeding are tuberculosis, severe heart
disease and certain acute infectious diseases such as typhoid fever.  While
an eclamptic patient is in a coma or convulsions, it would be unwise to put
the baby to the breast; but as the mother improves it is common to have the
baby nurse.  Since the advent of the electric breast pump, retracted nipples
are no longer a permanent obstacle to nursing (see page 371).....

It is safe to say that if the doctor and the nurse and the patient all want
the baby to nurse at the breast, and all do everything in their power to
make this possible, they will usually succeed.  We do have to admit that
with the complexity of modern life and the general habit of living to which
many women are accustomed before their babies are born, the problem of
breast feeding may be almost insoluble.  Many women chafe so against the
simple routine and regular hours which are so essential to satisfactory
breast feeding that the emotional reactions would defeat the very ends of
such a routine.

Artificial feeding, especially among the well-to-do, is robbed of many of
its disadvantages because of the increased knowledge of the use of fruit and
vegetable juices, cod-liver oil and sunshine, and with the improved handling
of milk.

End of first installment.  Kathleens -- please let me know if you don't
think these excerpts are appropriate for the list.


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Katherine A. Dettwyler, Ph.D.                         email: [log in to unmask]
Anthropology Department                               phone: (409) 845-5256
Texas A&M University                                    fax: (409) 845-4070
College Station, TX  77843-4352