The energy displayed by fetal organisms in securing the nutritive materials requisite for life and growth even under the most unfavorable circumstances, and the energy displayed in the same direction by the milk glands, the organs chiefly responsible for the nourishment of the young organism immediately after birth, demonstrate how intent nature is upon providing for the "younger generation." One generation exists simply for the next and is sacrificed, if need arises, for the next.

What these facts lead to, as a practical proposition, is the necessity, on the part of the mother, to eat an adequate diet both during pregnancy and lactation. For, if she does not do this, her own body suffers, and after it has been "bled white," the body of her child also suffers.

The mother can supply to the fetal and nursing organism only what she possesses. If its needs are not supplied by her diet, her own tissues and stored reserves become the diet of her child.

Pregnancy and lactation are not "diseases." They do not call for special diets, or for special care or treatment. The mother should simply be careful to observe all the rules of hygiene and the rules for eating and for combining her foods, as given elsewhere in this book. She should supply herself and her child with an abundance of vitamins and minerals, by eating plenty of fresh fruits and green vegetables--largely or wholly raw.

Too many babies are born puny and feeble and lacking in the vigor and sturdiness that should characterize the beginning of life, because mothers are not properly fed. If too little of the fruits and green vegetables are fed during the prenatal period and during infancy and childhood, there results a lasting weakness which shows itself when the child is exposed to stress or strain.

Berg advises "from five to seven times as much vegetables, potatoes, and salt-rich fruits (apples and pears are poor in this respect), as of meat, eggs or cereal products--for otherwise an adequate excess of bases cannot be guaranteed," to supply the needs of growing children.

This standard will be found to be an ideal one for the pregnant and nursing mother. Undernourished or inadequately nourished mothers cannot hope to produce healthy offspring, or to nurse them properly after they are born.

Berg records that "when, at the sun-bath station of the Viennese University Clinic it became necessary during the winter to restrict for eight weeks the supply of fresh vegetables, scurvy appeared with positively explosive violence." This serves to emphasize the tremendous importance of fresh fruits and green vegetables in the diet of everyone, but especially in the diet of mothers.

Cereals, especially, seem to induce defective teeth, particularly when not counter-balanced with large quantities of green foods and fresh fruits.

McCollum says: "There is good reason to believe that the common practice of confining the diet to too great an extent to bread, meat, sugar, potatoes, beans, peas and cereals (before birth and during the nursing period) is in no small measure responsible for the failure of many mothers to produce milk of satisfactory quantity and quality for the nutrition of their infants. There is no hardship (but great benefit) in the restriction of the intake of meats, etc., and the increase of milk, fruits and green vegetables, and the mother who does so will greatly minimize the danger of a break in the healthy growth of her baby."

Mothers are not likely to undereat on starches, proteins and fats, although, on a one sided diet, they may eat only inadequate proteins. A varied diet will prevent this. The food elements that are most likely to be lacking in the diet of civilized mothers are the minerals and vitamins. Living largely on refined and denatured and cooked foods, as they do, mineral and vitamin depletion is one of the greatest evils connected with the mother's diet.

Let her eat acid fruits if she has a craving for something sour. Pickles are not food and will not nourish her child. Sweet fruits will satisfy her craving for something sweet; use these instead of sugar or candy. Every nutritional demand can be supplied by natural foods and by nothing else. Canned fruits are confectionary and not fruits. Their food value is small. Eat fresh ones.

In leaving this subject, let me again emphasize the necessity of good general hygiene of both the mind and body. Abnormal mental states will impair the mother's nutrition as certainly as defective food and, in this way, cripple her child. A want of fresh air or of sunshine, a lack of rest and sleep, overwork, emotional overirritation, sexual abuse or any other enervating and devitalizing influence, will result in a perverted metabolism, toxemia and trouble for both mother and child.