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The majority of babies when born were fine babies.
It was not possible to obtain accurate information as to the
exact period of time during which a child was breast fed. The
replies given were as a rule "Oh! about three months." "I really
did'nt notice." "About a month or so ago." Accuracy in making
statements is not one of the most obvious virtues of the Bethnal
Green woman.
It is quite a common practice for a woman to keep a baby at
the breast as long as she possibly can—to two and even three years
old.
On the other hand many of the mothers are very poor, and
both underfed and overworked and when they get out again after
confinement and begin to attend to their ordinary duties, the milk
partially or entirely fails and must be either supplemented or superseded.
Hence the great difference in the number of 2-3 and 3-4
months old breast fed infants. The reason given by the mothers
for hand or partly hand feeding their infants under six months is
almost always that the milk failed, or that the baby was not
satisfied.
Enquiries after the death of infants shewed that the mothers of
those children also were not employed to any great extent—twentyeight
were homeworkers, twelve were charwomen, only casually
employed, and 22 went out to work. (See employment table C.)