New parents probably worry more about feeding their baby than any other aspect of early child care. What if I can’t breastfeed? How do I know if the baby is getting enough? Too much? Should I give the baby vitamins? When do I start solid food? Parents quickly learn that almost everyone is eager to answer such questions-grandparents, neighbors-even strangers in the supermarket. As might be expected, however, much of the advice is conflicting and adds to a parent’s feelings of confusion and uncertainty. So, let us begin with a few anxiety busters:
1. Get to know your baby. No two infants are alike. Some enter the world ravenously hungry and demand to be fed every hour or two. Others seem to prefer sleeping, and may even need to be awakened to eat.
2. Try to relax. It is natural for new parents to feel nervous and apprehensive, but raising a baby should be a joyful experience.
3. Trust your own judgment and common sense. If a baby is growing and developing at a normal pace, he is getting enough to eat.
4. Keep foods in its proper perspective. It provides the essential energy and nourishment infants need to grow and develop. But food should not be a substitute for a reassuring hug or used as a bribe or reward for a good behavior. Even an infant learns quickly how to use food as a manipulative tool, which can set the stage for later eating problems.
baby food
There is a myth that one glass of beer a day increases a mother’s supply of breast milk, while the reality is that there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that drinking beer boosts milk production or improves mother’s milk. However, studies have shown that beer can increase the levels of a hormone necessary for milk production. In the late 1800s an American brewery marketed a new beer blend that was touted as a “tonic” for breast-feeding women.
{ 0 comments… add one now }