After the birth of my first baby who I will call number one. It was a no brainier for me what my baby would eat. Breast milk! Natures best food. It was easy for me as I had my husband and my sisters support. I also have a surrogate parents who breastfeed their babies. It was difficult at first as number one didn't latch very well. I used a nipple shield for about 2 weeks and then is was no longer needed. She was a champ after that. At 4 months she was very very hungry and I tried baby cereal, Organic. We did this once a day for about a couple of months before introducing any real foods. When she was about 6 months I started her on baby food which I made all her food at home with organic or at least pesticide free veggies. I did all of this with little or no research. It just seemed right. Why would I give her anything else? I don't eat crap why give that to her? There were other parents that I knew that that were doing things different and I couldn't understand it. A perfect example of this was a friend of mine was feeding her baby run of the mill store bought baby food. I asked her if she thought of making her own baby food. She said she didn't have time. Later I was thinking about how much time it actually took me. Let's see, I buy the fresh veggies when I'm already a the store. Once a week I would chop them in peaces throw them in a double boiler to steam. I did this while cooking dinner. Then I would puree and freeze them. The rest of the week all I have to do is take it out and stick it in the microwave for a few sec. Just enough to melt it and then feed to baby. It wasn't more than having to trek down to the store and buy food.
Once I was visiting my mother in law and I bought a few of the organic baby food thinking it was better than the regular. I tasted it, oooooooohhh it was really gross. My daughter wouldn't touch the stuff. she liked the real thing better. She was like that with breast milk vs. formula too. We thought about weening her to formula because my husband thought that it might be good to do six month breast feeding and the other six months formula feed. Well needless to say she was breast feed until she was 13 months.
Now that shes two she is still eating healthy. She eats whatever we eat. Also whenever we go out to eat we always buy her an adult meal as we see that all the kids choices are crap and not worth the money. For a few dollars more she can have a healthier choice for only a few dollars more.
Anyone that is thinking of not breast feeding because they are afraid that their breasts are going to be saggy please don't worry about it, your breasts are not going to be that bad after and after gravity takes it toll its likely that you're going to be that way anyway. I know because My other in law told me that's why shes didn't and now my husband has the suckest immune system ever!
There are many benefits to breast feeding and there is a lot of research that you can do but http://www.americanpregnancy.org says it all with this table from their website:
Once I was visiting my mother in law and I bought a few of the organic baby food thinking it was better than the regular. I tasted it, oooooooohhh it was really gross. My daughter wouldn't touch the stuff. she liked the real thing better. She was like that with breast milk vs. formula too. We thought about weening her to formula because my husband thought that it might be good to do six month breast feeding and the other six months formula feed. Well needless to say she was breast feed until she was 13 months.
Now that shes two she is still eating healthy. She eats whatever we eat. Also whenever we go out to eat we always buy her an adult meal as we see that all the kids choices are crap and not worth the money. For a few dollars more she can have a healthier choice for only a few dollars more.
Anyone that is thinking of not breast feeding because they are afraid that their breasts are going to be saggy please don't worry about it, your breasts are not going to be that bad after and after gravity takes it toll its likely that you're going to be that way anyway. I know because My other in law told me that's why shes didn't and now my husband has the suckest immune system ever!
There are many benefits to breast feeding and there is a lot of research that you can do but http://www.americanpregnancy.org says it all with this table from their website:
| Breastfeeding | Bottle-feeding | |
|---|---|---|
| Nutrition | ||
| Perfect balance of nutrients | Not as efficiently utilized as breast milk | |
| Contains high levels of nutrients | Nutritional content depends on proper preparation | |
| Easily digested and absorbed | Some babies have difficulty tolerating certain nutrients | |
| Content varies according to milk production stage, which meets the changing nutritional requirements | Pediatrician/care-giver determines amount | |
| Infant determines amount | ||
| Costs | ||
| Free | Formula ranges from $54 to $198 per month depending on brand | |
| Nursing pads, nursing bras, etc. | Bottles, nipples, etc. | |
| Breast pump (optional) | ||
| Advantages | ||
| Always the perfect temperature | Anyone can feed the baby | |
| No preparation time | ||
| Milk is readily available at any time and any place | ||
| Disadvantages | ||
| Mother must be available for feeding or to provide pumped milk if she is absent | Warming formula | |
| Mother must pump if feeding is missed | Preparation time varies | |
| Early breastfeeding may be uncomfortable | Baby may not tolerate formula well | |
| Certain medications can interrupt breastfeeding | Always have to carry bottles, formula/mixing items with you | |
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