Last few days ago I wrote a post about baby bathing. Now I intend to write about feeding the little ones. As a child doctor I knew somethings but as a mother I struggled a lot. Sleeping,bathing,dressing every other prospective of child care is a thing getting used to,but regarding eating we mothers have to fight the worst battle. Jian was always a playful active baby. But some expected her to be a chubby one as her mother is a Pediatrician. I was so anxious that I took her to a nutritionist at 8 months of age with a good weight of 7 kgs(14.2 pounds). The good doctor understood me & explained that being born with 2.5 kgs she was gaining weight superebly.Eventually I learned the truth..No matter how perfect she is... she will never be THE BEST to them. So I stopped paying attention to others. Being a doctor you tell your patients"Do this & do that". But after being a mother I really saw things.
Remember Exclusive Breast Feeding.Some of the doctors are man,telling mothers what to do.This always offended me.There are so many things to keep in mind, like"Is the mother working? What if the mother can't produce enough milk?"No matter what the mother says some are like "You have to feed your child only breast milk up to 6 months of age, period". And the mothers come home feeling all sad & guilty.
The babies have their own way of saying things. Like when they are ready to have solids they will look at the mother's plate with so much curiosity or even try to hold the food.Their little bodies will give us clues.They will be able to sit with little support & control the neck.Being a mother you have to have a keen eye.Nobody is an expert,nobody knows my baby as I do.Some tips I learned as a mother & a doctor-
1.Talking to other mothers whose child is in the same age group helps a lot.There is nothing more useful then first hand experience.
2. Babies have these unique ways of letting us know.Like the POOP.If the baby has something that is not agreeing with his/her body,the poop will be either hard or too soft. Too much solids will harden the poop & if we add something like a little spice or too much vegetable, this will cause gas & soft greeny stool,which is not natural after EBF (exclusive breast feeding) period.
3.Never force your child anything. Some say if you dont't give vegetables, baby will never like it afterwards. Due to Esophageal reflux(which I will share with you guys in another post), I always used to give Jian whatever she liked, and now she eats carrots,papayas and everything as long as I talk to her about its nutritional goodness skillfully. Kids can be very reasonable once you discuss with them no matter how old they are!
4.After reaching 6 months we should slowly introduce solids & gradually increase the amount. Many websites will tell you to do this & that, but you have to customize everything. If your baby don't want more than 2 ounces don't give any. Forceful feeding may cause so many nutritional imbalance one of which is very easy to guess... obesity.
5.Some babies rapidly increase the amount. Others may take 2 - 3 months. Just don't be so concern on the weight gain.Look for other signs like playfulness,emotional expression & milestones.
6.Try to make baby foods at home whenever possible. Rice cereals or mashed sweet potatoes are very easy to make & takes a few minutes. Mother's hand made foods are easy to digest & nutritional value is twice as much.
7. Don't get alarmed at simple things. Always have a Pediatrician who is easy to talk to rather than a very professional high class Doctor.
8.Try to talk to the child while feeding him/her. This helps in development of all the 5 senses.
Always believe in yourself. You may do many wrong things while taking care of this new little person but your love will always be there to turn those mistakes into blessings. Time is a very good teacher,it will teach us everything, we just have to have some patience & faith. You can check out this for further information or give me a buzz.
Remember Exclusive Breast Feeding.Some of the doctors are man,telling mothers what to do.This always offended me.There are so many things to keep in mind, like"Is the mother working? What if the mother can't produce enough milk?"No matter what the mother says some are like "You have to feed your child only breast milk up to 6 months of age, period". And the mothers come home feeling all sad & guilty.
The babies have their own way of saying things. Like when they are ready to have solids they will look at the mother's plate with so much curiosity or even try to hold the food.Their little bodies will give us clues.They will be able to sit with little support & control the neck.Being a mother you have to have a keen eye.Nobody is an expert,nobody knows my baby as I do.Some tips I learned as a mother & a doctor-
1.Talking to other mothers whose child is in the same age group helps a lot.There is nothing more useful then first hand experience.
2. Babies have these unique ways of letting us know.Like the POOP.If the baby has something that is not agreeing with his/her body,the poop will be either hard or too soft. Too much solids will harden the poop & if we add something like a little spice or too much vegetable, this will cause gas & soft greeny stool,which is not natural after EBF (exclusive breast feeding) period.
3.Never force your child anything. Some say if you dont't give vegetables, baby will never like it afterwards. Due to Esophageal reflux(which I will share with you guys in another post), I always used to give Jian whatever she liked, and now she eats carrots,papayas and everything as long as I talk to her about its nutritional goodness skillfully. Kids can be very reasonable once you discuss with them no matter how old they are!
4.After reaching 6 months we should slowly introduce solids & gradually increase the amount. Many websites will tell you to do this & that, but you have to customize everything. If your baby don't want more than 2 ounces don't give any. Forceful feeding may cause so many nutritional imbalance one of which is very easy to guess... obesity.
5.Some babies rapidly increase the amount. Others may take 2 - 3 months. Just don't be so concern on the weight gain.Look for other signs like playfulness,emotional expression & milestones.
6.Try to make baby foods at home whenever possible. Rice cereals or mashed sweet potatoes are very easy to make & takes a few minutes. Mother's hand made foods are easy to digest & nutritional value is twice as much.
7. Don't get alarmed at simple things. Always have a Pediatrician who is easy to talk to rather than a very professional high class Doctor.
8.Try to talk to the child while feeding him/her. This helps in development of all the 5 senses.
Always believe in yourself. You may do many wrong things while taking care of this new little person but your love will always be there to turn those mistakes into blessings. Time is a very good teacher,it will teach us everything, we just have to have some patience & faith. You can check out this for further information or give me a buzz.
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| LOOKING AT MY PLATE AT ONLY 4 MONTHS |
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