Mother's milk--that wonderfully adaptable, ever-changing food, so accurately and scientifically suited to the hourly and daily needs of the growing child--is composed of five different parts, totally unlike in every particular, and each part exactly suited to the needs which it supplies. The cream of the milk, as well as the lactose or sugar, builds up the fatty tissues of the body as well as helps provide the energy for crying, nursing, kicking, etc. The proteins (the curd of the milk) are exceedingly important; they are especially devoted to building up the cells and tissues of the body 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.