Baby and Gas...

I am a breastfeeding mum and this is the first time I am able to do it exclusively. It wasn't planned for it, but it fell in place. So, like every other first newly nursing mums, I read a lot to get to know what I should be doing, for little Iggy. As I was reading this particular book, I found that this information is rather helpful and wish to share it with you.

It may sound odd that I want to talk about gas, but bare with me and you will see why. Everyone of us has gas, yes, sometimes it can remind us in an embarrassing way.

"Generally, most gas created in the intestines is absorbed into the bloodstream; then part of it is filtered out by the liver, and part is expelled through the lungs. Excess gas that is not absorbed will be passed. Prior to solid food, the breastfed infant who is not reacting to any foods in his mother's diet should pass very little gas. More gas is produced when a child is fed when not hungry, when the child is fed harder-to-digest infant formulas on early solid foods, when digestion and adsorption are reduced by food sensitivity reactions, and when undirected milk lactose is passed into the large intestine in the much older children whose lactose enzymes are no longer sufficient."

With my first two boys, I fed them, like clockwork, as advice by my mum. That was how they did things, in their time. The fatter the baby, the better. But now with Iggy, and the abundance of resources, I choose to make alternative decisions in certain matters, like feeding.

Iggy used to feed every hour, when we came home from she hospital. It was crazy difficult for me. I had to keep eating, feed, rest, eat, feed and rest. It was not the ideal picture I had in mind. All the books I read made nursing sounds like a mothers dream. But after a rough start, things started to work out fine. And I am glad I stuck it out. I guess what I wish to share is that, if its workable for you, be patient and breastfed your baby, for both your benefits. 

credits for picture

Book: The Baby Bond by Dr. Golden Palmer

Utter or Boobs

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I was having tea today with my sis and nephew, when we started exchanging tips on feeding our boys. After talking to her, I felt that I should upload this article. I was going to keep it for another day, but felt that its important should it help someone today.

As parents we all want the best for our little ones. But sometimes when it comes to food and nutrition, we may need to know, that it goes beyond the eating and excreting. Food is our health too. We have to be diligent in what we feed out kids. Where we buy our food from and how we prepare them. Going organic is huge today. But it can break the bank too. We all can agree that choosing natural ingredient is the best way to go for our health.

With this article I wish to share a little on cow's milk. I wish to say that my first two boys grew up on cow's milk, as I only had two months of maternity leave and stopped when I returned to work.

I know that here in Singapore, we have the kiasu mentality to push our children in all aspects. My first two boys were given cereal in their milk when they were merely four months old. My mum and many older people would keep saying that the baby needed it to grow or he would be skinny, thus, according to them, malnourished. Back in the day, I didn't know better and I followed as I was told. But now with information at our fingertips and the loads of books in the library, we have options to know more. Both Peter and I decided that we would do what we felt we needed to do and change what we needed to change for Iggy. After all it is a new generation, a new breed of babies that we have these days.

The first thing we agreed upon was that Iggy would be breastfed. I had not planned to make it exclusive, but I got lazy and found it to be more convenient for me (lazy mum, I know). Later, I was glad I did so, because as I read I found out that although the baby has his digestive system kick started at birth, maturation of numerous digestive processes still carry on for a couple of years.

"Hunger starts the digestive process going, and enzymes are released in the stomach and small intestine. If one ways or is fed when not hungry, these enzymes are not present, and indigestion can occur. Therefore, when infants are fed on a schedule rather than when hunger is expressed, poor digestion and painful indigestion might be the result."

"The digestive system of the newborn infant is not at all equipped to handle solid foods or digest anything but mother's milk. Human infants, like all other mammals, are designed to survive on nutrition made by the mammary glands of the mother, just as they were previously supported by her placenta. This arrangement provides many survival advantages because it ensures parental protection, loving social contact, and controlled, optimal nutrition."

It's easy to understand that a baby's little body only produces a very small amount of digestive enzymes as compares to a mature system. So take this information with a pinch of salt and decide for yourself.

Book: The Baby Bond by Dr. Linda Folden Palmer