Naturally, the starting-point for much of this work has been the fair—state, county, and local. These widely advertised contests have been a sort of blare of trumpets to attract attention. But above and beyond this element has been the quiet and persistent growth of the work among board-of-health officers, medical societies, club women, church organizations, physicians, nurses—in fact, among all bodies of men and women especially interested in child welfare. The fostering and furthering of this work, which has progressed beyond all expectations, has been Mrs. Richardson’s chief joy and pride during a year of almost unbelievable endeavor. The author of this book is a keenly interested and intelligent observer. While she has gathered into the book much that is of real scientific value, contributed by physicians, nurses, psychologists, and social workers, still the chief usefulness of the volume, it seems to me, lies in the fact that it is a message from one mother to other mothers, and is written in the language that all mothers can understand. The woman who writes it has had not only the actual experience of bearing and rearing her own children, but she has had the rare privilege of corresponding with mothers from every point in the United States, of witnessing many of the Better Babies Contests, and of studying not only what is the matter with the sick baby, but why the well baby is well. GERTRUDE B. LANE _Editor, Woman’s Home Companion_. March 26th, 1914. CONTENTS PAGE DEDICATION v PREFACE vii CHAPTER I PREPARATION FOR MOTHERHOOD 1 MOTHERHOOD A PROFESSION WHICH REQUIRES TRAINING—PRENATAL INFLUENCE AND HYGIENE—MATERNITY CLOTHES CHAPTER II BABY’S BIRTHDAY 20 CHOOSING THE NURSE AND DOCTOR—SANITARY BEDROOM AND ITS EQUIPMENT—THE BABY’S LAYETTE—PREVENTION OF BLINDNESS IN NEW-BORN BABIES—THE BABY’S FIRST BATH CHAPTER III THE NURSING BABY 36 THE NURSING BABY—WHY THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND BABIES ARE SACRIFICED EVERY YEAR TO IGNORANCE—INFLUENCE OF THE MOTHER’S DIET ON THE BABY’S HEALTH—WHEN THE NEW-BORN BABY MUST BE BOTTLE-FED—A WELL-BALANCED DIET FOR THE NURSING MOTHER—CARE OF THE BREASTS AND NIPPLES—IMPORTANCE OF REGULARITY IN NURSING CHAPTER IV ARTIFICIAL FEEDING 50 WHEN ARTIFICIAL FEEDING IS NECESSARY—WEIGHT THE TEST OF PROPER NOURISHMENT—COW’S MILK, CAREFULLY MODIFIED, IS THE BEST SUBSTITUTE FOR MOTHER’S MILK—SOURCE OF SUPPLY AND CARE—CARE OF THE BOTTLES AND NIPPLES CHAPTER V FORMULAS FOR ARTIFICIAL FOODS 65