First word and eating solids
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Today the little one said her first word, "Mum."
And I know she wasn't just babbling. She said it while reaching out to me.
Sigh.
My heart is over flowing.
She just turned 6 months old. Had her first taste of water last week. Yup! FIRST TASTE OF WATER. My baby is fully breastfed. She had taken nothing except my breast milk. And because breast milk is pure, clean, complete and perfect, she needed no vitamin supplements, no water, no food. For more about how much water a breastfed baby needs, read this.
Last week it was time to introduce her to solids. I fed her infant rice cereal (organic) mixed with breast milk. Three days later, organic apple sauce (from the health store), mashed bananas, then vegetables. I had to wait three days before introducing new food, so I could trace any potential allergic reactions. Thankfully all my kids aren't allergic to anything.
Pureed green beans, frozen.
Pureed carrots, frozen.
Today I stop buying bottled baby food. I really only do that out of convenience. It's easiest for travelling. I am after all, a working mother and not a supermom. But today we started with our purees. I made pureed carrots, green beans and apples. Then we do spinach and broccoli. This is very easy to do. You can train your yayas or maids to do this. Just boil the veggies (separately) using clean mineral water, drain, then puree. Wait to cool, then place in little ice trays. Freeze. When it's feeding time, take out a couple of cubes of frozen pureed vegetable, thaw, add breastmilk if you like, then feed. I do not heat baby's food in the microwave because I'm terrified of hot spots, it might scald my baby's mouth. And that scary thing about toxic microwaves too.
And please always consult your doctor about your baby's diet. I'm no expert. I'm just a mom. And all I'm really sure about is breastfeeding. Your baby may have other needs.
Also, a lot of first-time parents are excited about introducing solids, as early as 4-months. I'm not sure how that works. I've always waited til the sixth month. My babies get more nutrition out of breastmilk than solids. Plus as soon as they start eating real food, their poopies start smelling like real ones too. ick. Haha. T.M.I. Again, I'm no expert on this. Feel free to share your thoughts, any doctors out there? Or click here for additional info on why you should delay solids until 6 months.
Some of you have asked how I do things. So I thought I'd share. Other moms have different systems. Feel free to share.
Before I end, I wish more mothers would simply just breastfeed their babies. Especially those who live below the poverty line. Breastfeeding is free, pure, clean and perfect. It is love. And if a mother is healthy enough to give birth to six or eight children, surely she is healthy enough to breastfeed. All she needs is WATER. Even when I had the flu, I breastfed my babies, thanks to the support of my pro-breastfeeding pediatrician. She said my antibodies that naturally fought off the flu would transfer to my child, making her stronger and more immune. No other formula can claim that. I just wore a mask to make sure my virus wouldn't circulate and spread. So if mothers in poverty-stricken areas just breastfed, imagine all the diseases that can be avoided? And really, who can afford 2,000 a month on milk? With formula they risk infecting their babies with dirty water, bacteria, contaminants, melamine... etc. The infant mortality rate in this country is too high. I don't want to preach... but really. Please spread the word. I doubt they read my blog.
.
Today the little one said her first word, "Mum."
And I know she wasn't just babbling. She said it while reaching out to me.
Sigh.
My heart is over flowing.
She just turned 6 months old. Had her first taste of water last week. Yup! FIRST TASTE OF WATER. My baby is fully breastfed. She had taken nothing except my breast milk. And because breast milk is pure, clean, complete and perfect, she needed no vitamin supplements, no water, no food. For more about how much water a breastfed baby needs, read this.
Last week it was time to introduce her to solids. I fed her infant rice cereal (organic) mixed with breast milk. Three days later, organic apple sauce (from the health store), mashed bananas, then vegetables. I had to wait three days before introducing new food, so I could trace any potential allergic reactions. Thankfully all my kids aren't allergic to anything.
Pureed green beans, frozen.
Pureed carrots, frozen.
Today I stop buying bottled baby food. I really only do that out of convenience. It's easiest for travelling. I am after all, a working mother and not a supermom. But today we started with our purees. I made pureed carrots, green beans and apples. Then we do spinach and broccoli. This is very easy to do. You can train your yayas or maids to do this. Just boil the veggies (separately) using clean mineral water, drain, then puree. Wait to cool, then place in little ice trays. Freeze. When it's feeding time, take out a couple of cubes of frozen pureed vegetable, thaw, add breastmilk if you like, then feed. I do not heat baby's food in the microwave because I'm terrified of hot spots, it might scald my baby's mouth. And that scary thing about toxic microwaves too.
And please always consult your doctor about your baby's diet. I'm no expert. I'm just a mom. And all I'm really sure about is breastfeeding. Your baby may have other needs.
Also, a lot of first-time parents are excited about introducing solids, as early as 4-months. I'm not sure how that works. I've always waited til the sixth month. My babies get more nutrition out of breastmilk than solids. Plus as soon as they start eating real food, their poopies start smelling like real ones too. ick. Haha. T.M.I. Again, I'm no expert on this. Feel free to share your thoughts, any doctors out there? Or click here for additional info on why you should delay solids until 6 months.
Some of you have asked how I do things. So I thought I'd share. Other moms have different systems. Feel free to share.
Before I end, I wish more mothers would simply just breastfeed their babies. Especially those who live below the poverty line. Breastfeeding is free, pure, clean and perfect. It is love. And if a mother is healthy enough to give birth to six or eight children, surely she is healthy enough to breastfeed. All she needs is WATER. Even when I had the flu, I breastfed my babies, thanks to the support of my pro-breastfeeding pediatrician. She said my antibodies that naturally fought off the flu would transfer to my child, making her stronger and more immune. No other formula can claim that. I just wore a mask to make sure my virus wouldn't circulate and spread. So if mothers in poverty-stricken areas just breastfed, imagine all the diseases that can be avoided? And really, who can afford 2,000 a month on milk? With formula they risk infecting their babies with dirty water, bacteria, contaminants, melamine... etc. The infant mortality rate in this country is too high. I don't want to preach... but really. Please spread the word. I doubt they read my blog.
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