After-pains are caused by the same physiologic process that causes labor pains-- namely, by the contractions of the uterus. After the first confinement the after-pains are, as a rule, not severe; attention to the regular emptying of the bladder and bowels also lessens the severity of the after-pains; these pains seldom last after the second day. The Lochia.-- The discharges of the mother continue for about two weeks, and are called lochia. For the first twenty-four hours they are pure blood; the second and the third day they are of the character of bloody water; from the fourth to the sixth day they have a, greenish-yellow color, and from the tenth to the twelfth day they become pure white. Soiled napkins and dressings should never be allowed to remain in the patient's room. Duration of the Lying-in.-- This lasts for six weeks. During this time the organs of generation are returning to their normal size and condition. In order that the woman may be in the best condition possible at the end of this time, it is essential that for the first two weeks she should remain in bed; and so long as there is any blood in the discharge the woman should not be allowed to sit up. The first sitting up should be in bed, the patient being supported by a bed-rest. During the second two weeks the patient may be allowed to divide her time between the bed and the couch; in the latter part of this time she may be allowed to go around her room a very little; and for two weeks more she should remain on the same floor. The first sitting up should not last more than half an hour. Getting up and going around too soon after the confinement, "being too smart," is one of the most prolific sources of falling of the womb, and all manner of uterine trouble, by which the general health of the woman is greatly impaired. Lactation.-- If it is at all possible, every mother should nurse her own child; in the interests of both the mother and the child. So far as the mother is concerned, the process of lactation is beneficial because it hastens the return of the uterus to its normal size. Wet-nurses are known tyrants, and if the quality of the milk has anything to do with the disposition of the child, as is believed to be the case, the idea is distasteful of having a woman who belongs to the lower classes provide nourishment for your child; and artificial feeding is one unmitigated trouble. A deficiency of the quantity or the quality of the mother's milk can generally be remedied by the diet and attention to the health of the mother; if the deficiency in quantity persists, the mother's milk can be supplemented by artificial feeding.