I don't think there's any sweeter time with babies than to be cuddled up nursing. I love that time. What makes it so precious is that it lasts for such a short time; so I soak it all in. I nurse my babies on demand. I don't schedule it for every 3 or 4 hours. I also nurse them to sleep. Some people don't think that's a good idea and that's fine for them. But I want to spend as much time nursing as possible.
Some mamas nurse for only 6 weeks. Some for 3 years and even more. We all must go our own way in this. Babies aren't a "one size fits all" kind of thing. All babies are different, with different wants and needs. However... there is one thing that every baby does need (besides a loving family) and that is good and safe nutrition. What does all this have to do with sniffing diapers? I'll get to that later!
Ok... so nutrition...
We all know that breastfeeding is absolutely the best for infants. Even the science proves it. Even in the animal world mama's milk is best for the babies. Did you know that if a newborn calf doesn't get the colostrum within 24 hours that calf will surely die? I know that as long as I am feeding myself correctly my body can sustain my life and my baby's.
Now I'm getting ready to get pretty opinionated here so please be advised. I may even resort to some strong language and you'll just have to bear with me. I don't seek to offend by any means, but sometimes truth offends until it sinks in. Then it liberates.
Let's travel back in time to an age where Similac was not a part of our vocabulary. When a mama couldn't breastfeed her baby she resorted to goats milk or cows milk. Even today in less "civilized" societies they use goats, cows, yaks, sheep, emus, reindeer... you get the picture. There was no man made swish with which to feed their young. Now fast forward back to today where there are just as many kinds of formulas as there are ice cream flavors. Formula wasn't created for mamas who can't breastfeed. There is plenty of cow and goat milk for that. Formula was made to make someone money. You see, they can't patent anything natural so they swish a bunch of chemicals together, call it formula, and target those poor mamas desperate to feed their babies.... and then they line their pockets with all the money rolling in. Never mind the fact that some formulas have been linked to cancer and other degenerative diseases. Oh but I digress.
So I nurse my babies exclusively for the first 6 months at least... then come the solids. I fix them a nice warm bowl of rice cereal to fill their tummies. ..NOT!!!! Grains are very difficult for little ones to digest. Why doctors recommend that as first foods I'll never know! My baby's first food has been bananas. He loves them! I also mix in some liquid acidophilus to help with the transition from liquid to solid. So the next food I'll be giving him is avocado. It's a perfect first food for baby's digestive system. Not too starchy or sugary and loaded with good ole fat!
There are several websites and blogs that support my philosophy. You can agree or disagree... that's totally up to you. There are all kinds of ideas and theories that you must wade through, but definitely wade through them. Arm yourself with information. It could literally change or even save your baby's life.
So do your research. There are all kinds of mamas out there. Which kind are you? Are you a crunchy mama or a silky mama? Are you the kind of mama who sniffs her baby's diaper or do you stick your finger in to find the prize? I've chosen my path... Have you chosen yours?
No comments:
Post a Comment