Baby's Clothing : Part 1

The Mother and Her Child
by William S. Sadler, M.D., Lena K. Sadler, M.D.

(Page 21 of 42)

The Eden story suggests that in the beginning of our racial experience artificial clothing was unnecessary; but after a time, in that selfsame garden, proper clothing became an important problem and has remained so ever since. Everybody seems to agree, however, that baby's clothing in particular should at least be comfortable. It may give the child great discomfort because it may be too warm, or it may not be warm enough, or it may be too tight, and so, in the discussion of baby's clothing in this chapter, we are going to keep in mind these two things - comfort and heat.

General Suggestions

The choice of material demands some thought and attention. As a rule, baby's clothing materials should be light in weight, good moisture absorbers, and at the same time able to retain the body heat. Most layettes have the common fault of being prematurely outgrown; and so it is well to allow for ample growth in making baby's first clothes. Since the principal object of clothing is to insure a uniform body temperature, it is important that the mother be constantly on her guard to keep the baby cool enough in the summer and warm enough in the winter.

The mothers of various races and nations have their own ideas concerning the clothing of their babies. One mother will wrap her baby in cotton, which is held in place by means of a roller bandage, and as you visit this home during the first week of baby's life, you will be handed a little mummy-shaped creature - straight as a little poker - all wrapped up in cotton and a roller bandage. The surprising feature is that the baby does not seem to complain.

In another district of the city we find the baby dressed in starched clothes, ribbon sashes, bright ribbon bows on its arms and around its neck. At first glance you wonder if the little child is not many years older and is about to make a visit to a county fair, but on inquiry we find that he has only been prepared for the event of circumcision on the eighth day.

And if you go into the forest of primeval days you will find another mother bandaging her baby to a board, head and all, and he seems to live and thrive in his little woven nest strapped on the back of his Indian mother.ggOther babies in the warmer portions of the earth have almost less than nothing on, and are left to be swung by the breezes in little baskets tied to the boughs of trees; being taken up only when it is time to feed.

Baby's Layette

In preparing an outfit for the newcomer it is wise to provide for the necessities only, because of the fact that since the baby grows very fast the layette will soon have to be discarded; it is always possible to get more clothing after the baby is here and started on his little career.

The binder should be made of an unhemmed strip of flannel six inches wide and twenty inches long, so that it goes around the abdomen once with a small overlap. This binder should be sewed on instead of being pinned, and serves the purpose of holding the dressings of the cord in place. It is usually worn from four to six weeks, when it is replaced by a silk and wool barrel-shaped band with shoulder straps and tabs at the bottom, both front and back, to which may be pinned the diaper. This band is worn through the first three or four years to protect the abdomen from drafts and chilling, therefore guarding against those intestinal disturbances which are caused by sudden weather changes.

There is great danger of having the bellyband too tight, and, in the early weeks, it is often the cause of great discomfort - often interfering with the normal expansion of the stomach at meal time.

No matter what the season, the new-born baby should be clothed in a light-weight silk and wool shirt, preferably the second size. After the first month, if the weather is exceedingly warm, this woolen shirt may be displaced by a thin silk or lisle shirt. In buying the second-size shirts always secure the stretchers at the same time, for in the laundering they soon shrink so that they are very uncomfortable for the young babe.

Diapers

There are a number of materials on the market from which comfortable diapers may be made for the baby. The cotton stockinet (ready-made shaped diaper) is excellent, fitting smoothly at the waist, while it is large and baggy at the seat, therefore permitting not only a comfortable feeling but the free use of the hips, without the bulkiness of the ordinary diaper.

The large square of cheesecloth is easily laundered, and if an inside pad is used makes a very acceptable diaper.

The stork diapers are made of materials resembling Turkish toweling and are used to some extent. This diaper should not be confused with the stork rubber diaper which will be spoken of later.

Birdseye cotton is popular and extensively used. It absorbs quickly, and is much lighter in weight than linen. The first- and third-size widths should be purchased as a part of the layette, and the number of diapers needed depends upon the opportunities to wash them out, for diapers are never used but once without washing; they should always be quickly rinsed and dried in the sunshine if possible. So if there are good laundry privileges, and daily washing is possible, the mother can get along with fewer diapers, but no less than four dozen should be provided.

The diaper pad will be found convenient and serviceable in the early days when the skin of the child is so very tender. This pad should be pieces of clean old linen or small pads of absorbent cotton.

Changing the Diaper

During the mother's waking hours, the diaper should be changed as soon as it is soiled or wet. If the child cries during the night it should be changed immediately, but the mother should not feel called upon to lay awake nights merely to change the baby's napkin when it is soiled. If she places a pad underneath the baby, which will absorb the urine quickly, he often does not awaken or become chilled. The pad should be sufficiently thick to ensure that the nightgown does not get wet.

About the Author

Dr. William S. Sadler M.D. was a well-known American psychiatrist and college teacher in the school of medicine at the University of Chicago. For over sixty years he practiced his profession in Chicago, thirty-three years being associated in practice with his wife, Dr Lena Kellogg Sadler. The doctors were pioneers in the research on the mysterious Urantia Papers.