Let's Share Our Feelings - Part 2

Krithika & Latha, thank you so much for the info. I visited my Ob today and asked her too about a paed and she mentioned Dr Benjamin as well. So i just might pay him a visit.

I'm exclusively breastfeeding my LO at the moment and plan to slowly introduce solids at 6 months. My doc mentioned something about that being an old standard and the latest recommendation is for solids to be introduced at 4 months cos the protein in breast milk is insufficient. I have not come across that anywhere. I still think that breast milk is the perfect food for an infant. Ladies, it would rest my mind if I hear what you'll think about this...

Sylvia.

Sylvia,

Krithika will give the best reply to your doubt. The latest recommendation is to wait until 6 months before introducing solids. Until then the adequate source of nutrition for a baby is either mother's milk or formula milk. I can't help laughing at the new find of the doc!

I started with apple puree last week for my girl. She'll be 6 months old on 12th dec. I would have loved to wait few more weeks but i noticed that she was a bit cranky during the day and my milk wasn't pleasing her enough. Today i gave her pumpkin puree instead of apple... just 2 tablespoons and that seems to make her happy. I plan to introduce twice a day solids only by end of December. Until then we'll keep experimenting on different puree/rice cereals. Take your baby's cue and do what you think is best.

Latha

Sylvia, I am not a medical professional, but all the reading and research (including from AAP, WHO, UNICEF etc) I have done is strongly in support of "breast milk meets all the nutritional requirements for the first 6 months" theory. I started my now-3 yo on solids after 6 months. Until then it was exclusively BM.

Sylvia, I concur with Latha in that you'll get the best reply from K.
In the meantime I wanted to tell you what I did - though BM is enough until first 6 mths of life, LO was ready for solids and showed much interest and so I started it by the time he was 5 1/2 mths. I started with rice cereal, then veggie purees and now oats and fruit purees. Slowly increase and try out new things but always one at a time.

Thanks, Latha. I was a bit tied down with my parents visiting and then my wisdom tooth extraction - thank goodness it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated. Its still a little sore but way better.
-L.

Latha and Lavanya. I cant make out if you guys are poking fun at my lactivism or not .
Sylvia, Benjamin is one of those docs who pushes exclusive bfing for 6 months. Like other posters have said before me, breastmilk has all the nutrition your child will need till 6 months. Unless your child is a preemie or of very low birth weight baby, etc. Most paeds would then put your child on a multi-vitamin and Iron because the iron stores in the infants body will get depleted by two months or so.
In my experience with my preemie, I found that most doctors and paeds - even those who followed WHO and UNICEF Innocenti declaration recommendation, urged us to start solids at 4 months. The only reason they had was the child had doubled his birthweight at that time and would need more protein and calcium, etc.
Your doctor does have a point in that breastmilk when compared to cow's milk is more lactose intensive, but that's exactly how evolution meant it to be. The high-lactose, low-protein content is needed to fuel brain development, so I would say go ahead and bf for 6 months.
With K, we found his weight gain was good till he was being exclusively breastfed, the minute we got him on solids it all went out the window. Mainly because of his food sensitivities and that's what exclusive bfing till 6 months offers protection against. There is a hypothesis that the child's gut is open till between the 4 and 6 months to absorb all nutrition needed for the quick growth. Introducing solids at that point could lead the foreign protein being absorbed into the blood stream and triggering allergies.
Incidentally, we did offer solids under much duress from just about everyone around us, after my child turned 6.5 months (or 5 months adjusted), but he really started taking to solids only at 7.5 months or 6 months corrected age...So yeah, the child does know what's good for him.
Follow your child's lead, if you think she is getting very hungry and exclusive nursing is not able to satiate her needs, it may then be time to start solids. The recommendation is around 6 months, it maybe a little early for some kids, like Latha said.

L, good your extraction went smooth. I lived on cold soup and icecreams after mine! The thing that amazes me about parents is how you could be running a company or have a Ph.D. in whatever and you will still be their kid who is incapable of making sound decisions bonk. Ack, I still need to tell my mom I am not her little child.

Latha, hope Aniish feels better. Yippee for Ananya's solids. I am trying to look up a cake recipe for K's birthday. One for him and me that is dairy free and one for the rest of the family. And one that I dont have to cook for 3 hrs (yikes, I cant guarantee I will have power for 3 hrs). If I cant find anything, can I bother you for one.

Those of you moms who have a child sleeping in his rooms, how did you go about it. K now sleeps part time in his bed till his first waking. Till a while ago DH worked late in the night, picked him up and brought him to our bed on his first waking. DH then went and slept in K's room.
Now that's he's finished his teaching (God save us) he hits the hay quite early and our system is not working. I seem to sleep better in our bed than the one I shared with K (not a toddler bed). I am trying to think up solutions. Any thoughts. I am all ears.

Krithika,

This is what I love about your replies... precise points that show how well you research the subject. I can only give an outline that will not always convince the listener. btw, I didn't know Benjamin is pro-BF too... we visited him last trip for A's mosquito-bite related rashes and fever and he surprised me by not prescribing antibiotics. Also the paed in Bangalore (where aniish was born) strictly told me to discourage anyone giving me 'valuable' advice on feeding the new-born. He said only BM until 6 months. He was the eye-opener else i might have ended up with farex or something during my 3 months stay post-delivery.

A is much better.. thanks! Today they baked cookies at their after-school craft class. He was very proud to bring home the cookie box and insisted i take some pictures. Will upload soon. He is tired though but i guess he'll be alright in couple of days.

You are anytime welcome to ask me for recipes. I'll look around:) Meanwhile this blog might interest you... holy cow!
I'm eyeing her carrot muffin recipe with soy yogurt.. after christmas!

Latha

Lavanya,

See I started off with apple puree for A, then now on to pumpkin and i'm confused. Do you think i must have began with rice cereal instead? Does it make a difference? okay i should also ask this question... what do you give at dinner time? cereal or fruit/veg puree?

Oh dear! wisdom tooth. Mine was in 2001. We were back home before flying to France. I remember very well. It was just a day before krishna jayanthi. I had a cleaning appointment. The dentist said more than cleaning i had these 2 wisdom teeth that could lock my jaw anytime so had to be pulled out. The right side one came off without much effort. The left one gave so much trouble i was kicking DH seated across me violently. Then we had this lovely get-together next day at DH's friends'... damn there I was with a heavely swollen face unable to eat anything and there was this fab spread with palak paneer, 2 types of dessert etc., when i think back i'm glad i'm done with it!

Latha

hi all.................i am new to this thread.........i have 8 month old bay name shreya we call her by kutu (nick name) . when i write it seems as if i am writing to my sisters. I don't have sis but it feels good here.I get lot of support ,information..............coming Christmas what are you doing i.e what shopping .............let us share a family photo taken on Christmas.
take care
love meenu

K, I think you do your home work before you choose your allegiance... that's why I thought you'd be the best person to answer the question.

Latha, my pedi thinks that cereals/fruits/veggies can be started in any order but always keep the more complicated ones to the last (eg.wheat, strawberry, corn). But being a first timer in this domain I am extremely cautious and also taking into account any number of allergies that we could've passed on genetically... so I started with rice and then tried carrots then oats, other vegs and fruits. We are still in the experimental stage so I'm getting ready made purees with plain veg/fruit in water. As the ones I bought came in 2 boxes and you try one box for three days, I use the second box mixed with cereal during lunch time. And I still give him only plain rice cereal for an early dinner just to keep it light on his tummy. Once I've tried all the first stage fruits and veggies I might give a little bit at dinner time too - by then it would be more than 1 month of getting used to solids. This is the logic I'm following. Of course I haven't tried wheat or mixed grains - I'm not sure when they generally recommend wheat, for now its off my list.


-L.