Occasionally, even before they are delivered, women express the conviction that they will be incapable of nursing. A few mothers who take this attitude, which it would seem is becoming more and more common, make no attempt at nursing, and others give it up after a very short trial. Premature weaning is practiced among the women of two widely different classes: those who are unwilling to deny themselves social pleasures, and those who, because they must earn a living, cannot be encumbered with maternal duties. A still larger class, however, are those mothers who wean the baby for neither of these reasons, but rather because they become discouraged and conclude that there is something wrong with their milk. In this way many infants are weaned without sufficient reason. Before giving up nursing her child a mother should submit several samples of the milk for analysis. If it is unfit for the infant, reliable evidence of the fact will often be secured in this way.

With the exception of tuberculosis, physicians recognize no condition that necessarily unfits a mother for nursing. As we have already seen, pregnancy is generally incompatible with lactation; in the event of conception the mother's milk almost always takes on qualities which render it unsatisfactory for the infant, and yet occasionally pregnancy advances several months before these changes in the milk occur. Meanwhile the infant suffers no inconvenience, and often in these cases the symptoms of threatened miscarriage give the first intimation of the mother's condition. Under all circumstances,
however, nursing should cease as soon as the mother recognizes that she is pregnant, for probably no woman is strong enough to provide nourishment for her infant and for the development of the embryo simultaneously.

Menstruation, on the other hand, rarely if ever provides a good and sufficient reason for weaning. In the great majority of instances this function is re-established before lactation ends. There may be a reduction in the amount of milk during menstruation, but if the infant has been given the breast as usual, the supply increases as soon as the period ends. Qualitative disturbances which would render the milk unfit for use are practically never a consequence of menstruation.

It may happen as the infant grows older that the flow of milk will diminish; then the breast feedings will of necessity be more frequently replaced by the bottle, and the question of weaning will settle itself. But if the time of weaning is a matter of choice, it should be approximately coincident with certain notable developments in the infant's digestive functions, which occur toward the end of the first year. The fact that the infant is prepared to take other food is outwardly shown by the appearance of teeth, of which there are usually six or eight at the end of the year.

If the suggestion regarding the daily substitution of one bottle for the mother's milk has been adopted, there will be no difficulty in discontinuing breast-feeding whenever it is desirable; otherwise an infant may raise strong objection to the change. The mother, on the other hand, will not be seriously inconvenienced by the weaning, provided she leaves her breasts alone.

Until recently mothers were advised to employ a very elaborate treatment for drying up the breasts. The diet was restricted, and as far as possible liquids of every kind were forbidden; strong purgatives were administered daily; and, in addition, the breasts were covered with some ointment, swathed in cotton, and tightly compressed with a bandage. Fortunately, we now realize that none of these measures are required. When nursing is discontinued the breasts
are apt to become distended and uncomfortable. They require support while the distention lasts, which is never very long, and if they become painful, medicine may be employed to give relief. But other measures, some of which occasionally do harm, are absolutely unnecessary, for, at whatever period of lactation the breasts cease to be used, they dry up spontaneously.