Chapter Twenty: Motherly Advice
That evening, Constantine and Samantha Hardbroom stayed at the Academy to help Constance with Star.
"Did Miss Cackle tell you of the problems Star has? She doesn't quite get the suck-swallow-breathe routine and ends up panting heavily and exhausting herself during a feeding as a result. This also happens if she gets excited or overwhelmed." Constance informed her parents.
"Did the doctor tell you how to help her when this happens?" Asked Samantha.
"Stroke her throat to encourage her to swallow during a feeding, both when nursing or bottle feeding, and coax her to breathe and slow down, soothing and hushing her to calm her down." Constance replied.
Star was panting following her evening feeding.
"Rught now would be a good time to show you what to do." Constance said. "Slow down, Star. Take it easy. Just relax, little girl. Shhh...Breathe...that's it." Constance watched Star carefully, speaking in a soft voice. Star slowed her breathing, but her tiny chest still heaved and her heart beat quickly. Constance immediately put her fingers on her daughter's chest. Star felt that and began to calm.
"It is useful to remember to stay calm. Always be calm with her, Constance." Samantha told her daughter.
"But what about when she learns how to misbehave?" Constance asked.
"When babies learn the meaning of the word No and even beforehand, they aren't getting into things in order to cause trouble. It is because they are learning about things and are curious. This is why the word No becomes a favourite word of toddlers because it is one of the first words that they learn how to say when they start talking." Samantha explained.
"Star is just so precious...I can't even imagine her getting into trouble." Constance said.
"That is the job of the parents, to teach teir children the meaning of right and wrong. They don't know that they are doing something wrong. Babies and toddlers don't know any better and their parents have to teach them. So when Star gets to that age, you have to teach her right away so that she learns quickly what is right and what is wrong." Said Samantha.
"Do you know that Mildred is an Alchemist?" Constance asked.
"That would make sense, Constance. Arthur was an Alchemist before Mildred and she was his Apprentice as I had been told by Arthur before that fatal crash, but when he and Persephone were killed, his assistant Achilles had to finish the trials with Mildred so that she could become a full Alchemist. That is what happens if an Alchemist dies long before they are supposed to, their assistant is the one who assists the Apprentice in their training and in the Trials." Samantha explained to Constance.
Constance rocked Star in her arms. Star was fussy and irritable.
"She's exactly like you were as a newborn, Connie. All except for her being early and having trouble slightly with her breathing. Apparently the trouble can last up to a few weeks before everything settles down and you have an entirely no-stress baby." Samantha commented.
"How do you know this, Mother?" Asked Constance.
"I've seen other preemies, ones even smaller than Star and it took a long time before their health problems were sorted out. Be thankful that she only has one or two issues, she could have had digestive issues, jaundice, and many others associated with preemies." Samantha said.