汤氏曰∶小儿乳哺,须要得法,乳者、你也,哺者、食也,乳后不得便与食,
哺后不得便与乳,小儿脾胃怯弱,乳食相并,难以克化,周岁以上,必成乳癖食癖,
于腹中作疼作热,疳病从此起也。丹溪曰∶血气俱盛,食物易消,故食无时,然肠
胃尚脆而窄,若稠粘干硬,酸咸甜辣,一切鱼肉,水果,湿面,烧炙煨炒,俱是发
热难化之物,皆宜禁绝,只与熟菜白粥,非惟无病,且不纵口,可以养德,此外,
生栗味咸,干柿性凉,可为长阴之助,然栗太补,柿太涩,俱为难化,亦宜少与,
妇人无知,惟务姑息,畏其啼哭,无所不与,积成痼疾,虽悔何及,所以富贵骄养,
有子多病,迨至成人,筋骨柔弱,有食则不能忌口以自养,居丧则不能食素以尽礼,
小节不谨,大义亦亏,可不慎欤。至于乳母,尤宜谨节,饮食下咽,乳汁便通,情
欲中动,乳脉便应,病气到乳,汁必凝滞,儿得此乳,疾病立至,不吐则泻,不疮
则热,或为口糜,或为惊搐,或为夜啼,或为腹痛,病之初来,其溺必少,便须询
问,随证治母,母安亦安,可消息于未形也。
凡乳母血气,为乳汁也,五情善恶,悉血气所生,宜戒喜怒,一切禁忌,不用
狐臭、瘿 、气嗽病者,及身体疥癣,头疮发少,紧唇耳聋,音哑 鼻,痫病等,
方可乳儿。夏中盛热时,乳母浴后,或儿啼,不可与你,能使儿成胃毒,秋成赤白
痢,浴后可令定息,良久,热燥乳之,故无患也。聂氏曰∶盛啼,不可食乳,恐气
逆不顺,聚而为 ,亦能成惊风也。《千金》论曰∶凡乳儿不可过饱,饱则溢
而成呕吐,若乳来多猛,取出、 后再乳,切须乳时,合先令捏去宿热乳,然后乳
之,如乳母欲卧寐,当以臂枕之,令乳与儿头平,母欲睡着时,即夺其乳,恐其不
知饱足,亦成呕吐,父母交合之间,儿卧于侧,或惊起,不可乳儿,盖气乱未定,
必能杀儿也。巢氏云∶小儿啼未定,气息不调,母不可以乳饮,盖恐乳不得下,停
滞胸膈,则为呕吐也。《颅囟经》曰∶夏不去热乳,令儿呕吐,冬不去寒乳,令儿
泄泻复痢,尤不可不谨。夜间乳儿,母起身坐,抱儿喂之。每清早欲饮乳,
皆须捏去宿乳。乳汁勿投于地,虫蚁食之,令乳无汁,可沃东壁上佳。
Mr. Tang said: Infant feeding and nursing must be done with proper methods. "Nursing" refers to breastfeeding, while "feeding" refers to giving solid food. One should not give food immediately after breastfeeding, nor breastfeed immediately after feeding. This is because infants have weak spleen and stomach functions; if milk and food enter the body simultaneously, they are difficult to digest. By the age of one year, this will inevitably lead to "Ru Pi" (milk accumulation) or "Shi Pi" (food accumulation), causing pain and heat in the abdomen, from which "Gan disease" (infantile malnutrition syndrome) originates.
Mr. Danxi stated: When blood and qi are abundant, food is easily digested, so eating can be irregular. However, an infant's intestines and stomach remain fragile and narrow. Foods that are thick, sticky, dry, hard, sour, salty, sweet, or spicy, as well as all meat, fish, fruits, wet noodles, roasted, baked, simmered, or fried items, are substances that induce heat and are difficult to digest; these should be strictly prohibited. Only cooked vegetables and white rice porridge should be given. This not only prevents disease but also curbs gluttony, thereby fostering virtue. Additionally, raw chestnuts are salty in flavor, and dried persimmons are cool in nature, serving as aids to nourish yin. However, chestnuts are too tonifying, and persimmons are too astringent; both are difficult to digest and should be given sparingly.
Ignorant women often indulge their children out of fear of crying, giving them anything they want, eventually accumulating chronic illnesses, for which regret would be futile. Therefore, children raised in wealthy families with indulgence tend to be frequently ill. Upon reaching adulthood, their bones and sinews remain weak; they cannot observe dietary restrictions to maintain health when food is available, nor can they eat vegetarian food during mourning to fulfill ritual propriety. Neglecting minor details leads to a deficit in major principles. Can one not be cautious?
Regarding the wet nurse, strict dietary control is especially necessary. What the mother eats enters her milk supply; emotional states affect the quality of blood and qi. Thus, she should avoid excessive joy and anger. Contraindications include those suffering from bromhidrosis (fox odor), goiter (thyroid enlargement), or cough due to qi stagnation, as well as those with skin diseases like scabies and tinea, head sores, sparse hair, tight lips, deafness, hoarseness, nasal obstruction, or epilepsy. Such individuals should not breastfeed. During the intense heat of summer, after a bath, or if the infant is crying, breastfeeding should be avoided, as it may cause "stomach toxin" in the infant, leading to bloody and purulent dysentery in autumn. After bathing, the mother should rest until her breath stabilizes and internal heat dissipates before breastfeeding, thus avoiding harm.
Mr. Nie stated: Breastfeeding should not occur while the infant is crying violently, as this may cause qi rebellion and accumulation, potentially triggering convulsions. The *Qianjin Fang* discusses that infants should not be overfed; overfeeding leads to regurgitation and vomiting. If the milk flow is too forceful, some should be expressed first before feeding. Before nursing, the mother must squeeze out any residual "hot milk" (stagnant milk). If the mother wishes to sleep, she should support herself with her arm to keep the nipple level with the infant's head. When the mother feels sleepy, she should remove the nipple to prevent the infant from overeating and vomiting. During conjugal relations, if the infant is nearby or startled awake, breastfeeding must be avoided, as the chaotic state of qi at that time can be fatal to the infant. Chao Yuanfang stated: If an infant has not stopped crying and their breathing is irregular, the mother should not breastfeed, lest the milk fail to descend and stagnate in the chest and diaphragm, causing vomiting. The *Luxin Jing* states: In summer, failing to discard hot milk causes infant vomiting; in winter, failing to discard cold milk causes infant diarrhea and subsequent dysentery. Caution is paramount. At night, the mother should sit up and hold the infant while feeding. Every morning before the first feed, residual overnight milk must be squeezed out. Do not pour milk on the ground; if insects or ants consume it, it is believed to reduce milk production. It is better to pour it on the eastern wall.