Yes, there are babies out there that sleep through the night. This, however, is not the norm.
At some point in time, Western society adopted this idea that babies and toddlers should sleep through the night despite the scientific fact that they are not supposed to.
In fact, this belief is so prevalent in today's society that many mothers are made to feel like there is something wrong with their baby if he or she does not sleep through the night. Even health care professionals will tell you that your baby should be sleeping for 6 hour stretches at night (the actual definition of "sleeping through the night"). A million things are suggested as the cause of night waking from teething to digestive problems to separation anxiety. In addition, suggestions as to how you can get your baby to sleep through the night are abound and range from stuffing them with solids right before bed to letting them cry it out.
The Fact is that Babies Sleep Differently
Babies have shorter sleep cycles and twice as much light sleep as adults. In the early months, their sleep cycles are about an hour long and the period of light sleep in which they are vulnerable to waking is longer. As they get older, their sleep cycles get longer and the length of time they are in the stage of light sleep gets shorter. Why do babies have such short cycles and spend so much time in light sleep? Imagine your baby was unable to wake when he or she was cold, hungry, or when his/her nose was plugged and breathing compromised. Babies are designed to awaken easily in the early months for exactly these reasons. It is also believed that this light sleep is good for babies' development because it provides mental exercise in the form of dreaming (which happens during the light sleep phase).
In general, a baby's sleep habits will reflect their eating habits. In the early months (0-3 months) when babies are feeding frequently, you can expect them to also sleep frequently and for short periods. Older infants (3-6 months) are generally awake for longer periods of time and may also sleep for longer periods as well, but you can expect at least one or two night wakings. As your baby gets older, his or her sleep habits will mature and begin to resemble a more adult-like sleep pattern. Here is the kicker...once a baby starts to sleep better, developmental milestones, teething, illness, and separation anxiety begin to interrupt sleep. Night wakings should lessen over time, but you will never truly be off the hook at night!
Breastfed Babies Sleep Differently than Formula Fed Babies
The simple fact is that night waking is normal for breastfed babies. Babies that do not wake in the night are atypical (and usually formula fed). It is completely normal for a breastfed baby to continue waking two or more times a night until the age of 2 years. Stretches of sleep for the breastfed baby typically last between 4 and 6 hours. Research has shown that babies that are formula fed from birth have what is called "poor vagal tone". This basically means that their nervous system is disordered and they tend to be sleepier and less alert than breastfed newborns. Babies that are weaned after several months also tend to sleep for longer periods, but the jury is still out on the reason for this. It has been suggested that it is probably the case that weaned babies that sleep for longer periods have learned to go back to sleep using their thumb, a pacifier or bottle, some method whereby feedings are scheduled and slowly eliminated or some sleep technique like 'cry it out'. Whatever the reason, it is rarely a naturally occurring phenomenon.
Sleep Techniques
Sleep problems have reached epidemic proportions in our society and the amount of time parents spend trying to end night waking by forcing their children to sleep is quite alarming. Additionally, many of these efforts do not work. Using comfort objects (pacifier, bottle) usually means you are still getting up in the night to help baby find the object. The 'cry it out' technique does work for some parents, although this method is seen as quite harsh by many. The kinder "No Cry Sleep Solution" is also an option by which you gradually shorten the amount of time baby is at the breast with the aim of ending nursing. If you are desperate for your baby to sleep through the night, you could try one of these techniques as they have worked for many families.
A better alternative in my opinion, is to:
1) Provide baby with a variety of healthy sleep associations (ie. people, objects, events) that help baby to get to sleep/back to sleep when awakened until baby is old enough to do so without these associations.
2) Parent baby to sleep until they are ready to put themselves to sleep. Too often, babies are forced to become self-soothers before they are ready which can lead to a fear of sleeping in addition to more severe sleeping problems down the road.
3) If baby has begun to 'enjoy' the attention he or she receives at night rather than 'needing' the attention (ie. they are waking to nurse more than once or twice each night), steps may need to be taken to rectify the situation. If you are going to try out a 'technique', make sure you thoroughly research the benefits and consequences of the technique before hand and remember to be flexible.
*The information in this posting comes from:
The Nursing Mother's Companion - Kathleen Huggins
What To Expect the The First Year - Heidi Murkoff
The Baby Book - Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby From Birth to Age Two -William Sears & Martha Sears
Monday, July 5, 2010
Immunizations...A Necessary Discomfort
Next week, Lilah will be getting her 6 month immunizations. It seems like so long ago that I was stressing out about her first round of immunizations at 2 months. I was terrified that they would hurt her, she would cry, she would have some kind of reaction, she would develop a fever, she wouldn't sleep, she wouldn't eat. You name it, I was worried about it.
Luckily, none of the aforementioned events happened. She was a trooper. She did cry a little a few seconds after the needles went in, but the tears didn't last long. Even though she didn't cry for long, I still nursed her right after her 2 and 4 month shots just to comfort her.
Several people had told us that we should give her infant pain medication before hand to head off any pain and/or fever that might develop. We did this for her 2 month immunizations, however, one of the first things our doctor asked us at her appointment was whether we had given her anything.
Why?
Well, recent research suggests that the immune response that infants have to a vaccine is decreased by pain medication. Our doctor noted that infants should not be given pain medication unless they absolutely need it. We did end up giving her another dose about 4 hours after she received the immunizations because she was truly in pain. We avoided giving her pain medication before her next appointment, but we did give her a dose about 4 hours afterward again when she started to exhibit signs that she was in pain. One dose afterward was all she needed on both occasions.
It is pretty difficult to stand there and watch needles being stuck into your tiny little baby (especially when you have to help hold them still). It gets a little easier as they get older, but they also become more aware of what is going on which is equally hard to deal with. Up to this point, nursing right after has seemed to do the trick and your doctor should be more than accommodating about letting you stay in the room afterward for a few minutes if you would like to nurse.
As we currently live in the U.S., we have been following the immunization schedule here (which is fairly similar to the one in Canada). This requires that Lilah be given 3 injections and one oral vaccine at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. We decided that we didn't want her to be given 3 needles at the same time so we opted to request a follow-up visit about a week later for her to receive 1 of the vaccines. I am not sure if this has contributed to the fact that she has had very little trouble with her immunizations, but it certainly makes me feel better. We have also never had to give her pain medication after these follow-up visits (when she only received one injection) which is a bonus as I would rather not give her medication of any kind unless it is absolutely necessary. Your doctor should be more than happy to accommodate any special requests you may have regarding immunizations (as long as they are within reason). Opting not to have your child vaccinated, for example, does not fall under the "reasonable request" category.
The idea that vaccinations cause autism spectrum disorders was the driving force behind a large group of parents deciding not to immunize their children (which in turn led to outbreaks of measles and mumps). This claim was made in a 1998 paper in The Lancet (a British medical journal). It was later discovered that the author of the paper manipulated evidence and had broken ethical codes. This paper has since been retracted and the author found guilty of professional misconduct (May 2010).
Needless to say, going for the third round of immunizations is old hat. I must say though, I am very happy we don't have to have any more needles until Lilah is a year old!
Luckily, none of the aforementioned events happened. She was a trooper. She did cry a little a few seconds after the needles went in, but the tears didn't last long. Even though she didn't cry for long, I still nursed her right after her 2 and 4 month shots just to comfort her.
Several people had told us that we should give her infant pain medication before hand to head off any pain and/or fever that might develop. We did this for her 2 month immunizations, however, one of the first things our doctor asked us at her appointment was whether we had given her anything.
Why?
Well, recent research suggests that the immune response that infants have to a vaccine is decreased by pain medication. Our doctor noted that infants should not be given pain medication unless they absolutely need it. We did end up giving her another dose about 4 hours after she received the immunizations because she was truly in pain. We avoided giving her pain medication before her next appointment, but we did give her a dose about 4 hours afterward again when she started to exhibit signs that she was in pain. One dose afterward was all she needed on both occasions.
It is pretty difficult to stand there and watch needles being stuck into your tiny little baby (especially when you have to help hold them still). It gets a little easier as they get older, but they also become more aware of what is going on which is equally hard to deal with. Up to this point, nursing right after has seemed to do the trick and your doctor should be more than accommodating about letting you stay in the room afterward for a few minutes if you would like to nurse.
As we currently live in the U.S., we have been following the immunization schedule here (which is fairly similar to the one in Canada). This requires that Lilah be given 3 injections and one oral vaccine at 2, 4 and 6 months of age. We decided that we didn't want her to be given 3 needles at the same time so we opted to request a follow-up visit about a week later for her to receive 1 of the vaccines. I am not sure if this has contributed to the fact that she has had very little trouble with her immunizations, but it certainly makes me feel better. We have also never had to give her pain medication after these follow-up visits (when she only received one injection) which is a bonus as I would rather not give her medication of any kind unless it is absolutely necessary. Your doctor should be more than happy to accommodate any special requests you may have regarding immunizations (as long as they are within reason). Opting not to have your child vaccinated, for example, does not fall under the "reasonable request" category.
The idea that vaccinations cause autism spectrum disorders was the driving force behind a large group of parents deciding not to immunize their children (which in turn led to outbreaks of measles and mumps). This claim was made in a 1998 paper in The Lancet (a British medical journal). It was later discovered that the author of the paper manipulated evidence and had broken ethical codes. This paper has since been retracted and the author found guilty of professional misconduct (May 2010).
Needless to say, going for the third round of immunizations is old hat. I must say though, I am very happy we don't have to have any more needles until Lilah is a year old!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Our First Play Date!
We had our first play date this week! Our new friend is an older boy (8 months)...ooo la la! It was less of a 'play with each other' date and more of a 'play with each other's toys' date. But then again, I didn't expect there would be a lot of social interaction happening at such a young age. Our new friend was a little more interested in Lilah than she was in him, but I think that can be attributed to the fact that he is a little older. He would reach out and try to touch her and was quite excited to have her around. They did make eye contact with each other frequently, but that was the extent of Lilah's interactions. I am sure over time they will become more social.
The concept of the 'play date' is relatively new (20th century). The idea behind it is to schedule a time for children to get together to play in an unstructured environment that is different from what they would experience in more organized activities. The concept of the play date arose because in today's society, play opportunities are more limited than in the past due to increased safety concerns. In addition, hectic schedules (it is more often the case that both parents are working outside of the home) make it necessary for play time with other children to be 'scheduled'.
Before the play date, (ie. when I was growing up), parents were more likely to casually get together with relatives and neighbours and have the kids play together. It wasn't the case that play dates needed to be 'scheduled' necessarily. (I also grew up in a rural area and, therefore, my experience may have been very different from a child growing up in a city). Case in point, we now live in a city. We don't have any relatives living nearby nor do we have any neighbours with children. Hence, I have started to seek out opportunities for Lilah to play with other children.
Play date or no play date, it is incredibly important for children to bond with other children (even at a very young age). Recent research suggests that children have better relationships with their siblings when they have an opportunity to learn social skills with a peer ahead of time. It was previously believed that children take the social skills they learn from their siblings and apply them to their friendships. However, this new research suggests the opposite. The theory goes something like this...
Peer relationships are more fragile than sibling relationships. If you refuse to share with a peer, you risk losing that person as a friend. Siblings on the other hand are always there. If you refuse to share with your sibling, they are still going to be your sibling. If children learn appropriate social skills through play with their peers, they are more likely to apply what they have learned to their sibling relationships. The opposite is not the case. Children have very little incentive to learn these skills with a sibling because your sibling will always be there no matter what. The take home message from this research is that children need to develop more friend-like relationships with their siblings such that there is the cost of losing your sibling as a friend rather than just a time out if you are not treating them appropriately.
Let's not forget one of the more straight forward benefits of the play date...children get to play in an unstructured environment with other children. Many children today are simply over-scheduled and are given few opportunities to just play with others. We should never underestimate the power of play and the kinds of cognitive advances children can make by engaging in it.
The concept of the 'play date' is relatively new (20th century). The idea behind it is to schedule a time for children to get together to play in an unstructured environment that is different from what they would experience in more organized activities. The concept of the play date arose because in today's society, play opportunities are more limited than in the past due to increased safety concerns. In addition, hectic schedules (it is more often the case that both parents are working outside of the home) make it necessary for play time with other children to be 'scheduled'.
Before the play date, (ie. when I was growing up), parents were more likely to casually get together with relatives and neighbours and have the kids play together. It wasn't the case that play dates needed to be 'scheduled' necessarily. (I also grew up in a rural area and, therefore, my experience may have been very different from a child growing up in a city). Case in point, we now live in a city. We don't have any relatives living nearby nor do we have any neighbours with children. Hence, I have started to seek out opportunities for Lilah to play with other children.
Play date or no play date, it is incredibly important for children to bond with other children (even at a very young age). Recent research suggests that children have better relationships with their siblings when they have an opportunity to learn social skills with a peer ahead of time. It was previously believed that children take the social skills they learn from their siblings and apply them to their friendships. However, this new research suggests the opposite. The theory goes something like this...
Peer relationships are more fragile than sibling relationships. If you refuse to share with a peer, you risk losing that person as a friend. Siblings on the other hand are always there. If you refuse to share with your sibling, they are still going to be your sibling. If children learn appropriate social skills through play with their peers, they are more likely to apply what they have learned to their sibling relationships. The opposite is not the case. Children have very little incentive to learn these skills with a sibling because your sibling will always be there no matter what. The take home message from this research is that children need to develop more friend-like relationships with their siblings such that there is the cost of losing your sibling as a friend rather than just a time out if you are not treating them appropriately.
Let's not forget one of the more straight forward benefits of the play date...children get to play in an unstructured environment with other children. Many children today are simply over-scheduled and are given few opportunities to just play with others. We should never underestimate the power of play and the kinds of cognitive advances children can make by engaging in it.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Travelling with Baby
My daughter has been on more flights in the first six months of her life than I was on in the first 20 years of mine! How crazy is that!
We live in Baltimore, Maryland, but call Ontario, Canada home. Before Lilah was born, my husband and I would drive the roughly 10 hours back and forth. Lilah was born in Ontario so we drove when we came back to Baltimore when she was just a month old, but at that time she was still sleeping more than she was awake and slept most of the way (we also stayed the night in a hotel and did the drive over two days). Since then, we have yet to brave the trip in the car because Lilah is older and more active and would need more frequent stops making the 10 hour drive significantly longer. Instead, we have been flying back and forth when we travel home.
Lilah and I flew alone for the first trip back when she was about 4.5 months old. I was a little stressed out about travelling alone with an infant. I was worried about whether or not she would sleep, if and when she would eat and where I was going to feed her, if she would have trouble with her ears on the plane, if she would cry on the plane...and the list went on. Looking back, I really didn't need to worry so much (which is the way it usually plays out).
It was an exhausting day...30 minute drive to the airport, 1.5 hours waiting for our flight, 1.5 hour flight, 30 minutes waiting for baggage, 2 hour drive home. Despite the fact that it was a long day for both of us, Lilah was FANTASTIC! She stuck fairly closely to her normal eating and sleeping schedule which was great. On our first flight, I was lucky enough to find a seat between two very nice women who were helpful and accommodating. I wanted to breastfeed as the plane was taking off to make sure Lilah didn't have any problems with her ears. The woman to my left was more than happy to have Lilah's feet dangling over her lap and the woman to my right was great about trying to shield me a little so I didn't expose myself to the other passengers.
I started to feed Lilah a little too early and she was actually finished nursing before the plane took off. Even though she has never had a pacifier before, I gave one to her just as added assurance. She sucked on it a little, but was soon fast asleep. She slept for just over half of the flight and when she woke up, she was perfectly content to play on my lap for the duration. She did start to get a little antsy toward the end of the flight because it is pretty tight quarters when you are travelling with a lap baby (as a side note, make sure you do a diaper change before you board because there is NO space to do it once you are on the plane unless you are travelling with another person that can help).
On the way back, I wasn't as lucky in my seat choice. I ended up sitting beside a rather antisocial man who seemed slightly annoyed that he was seated next to a baby. I attempted to nurse as the plane was taking off, but again, Lilah was finished before lift-off. She took the pacifier a little more eagerly the second time and again didn't seem to have any problems with her ears. She did cry more during this flight because she was a little overtired and was having trouble falling asleep. She did eventually sleep and the rest of the trip was a breeze.
We recently took the same trip as a family which was much more relaxing! Having a second pair of hands was great! I had the same game plan for this trip (to nurse during take-off, then offer a pacifier) which worked about the same as the last time. Lilah slept during both flights, but had a lot of trouble falling asleep during the flight back to Baltimore which was a little stressful for my husband and I. I was trying not to be stressed out and kept telling myself that it didn't matter what anyone else thought, but it was a challenge never the less (I am not sure which was more stressful for my husband...the crying or having to watch Lilah as she stood on my lap with her hands on either side of the window looking like she was going to jump out of the plane. It was really quite amusing to see my husband squirm in his seat as if she could actually fall out of the plane).
Funny story...
As we were sitting on the plane waiting to take off on our way to Detroit, we noticed a beeping noise. We didn't think much of it until other people on the plane started to ask "What is that beeping?" Everyone started checking their phones and other electronic devices. We don't have a cell phone so didn't think it could possibly be us, but my husband picked up his carry on bag just to check. Sure enough, the beeping was coming from our carry on bag! We had packed Lilah's baby monitor in our carry on bag so that it wouldn't get broken in our checked luggage. It is set to sense her movements when she is sleeping and alarm us when there is none. The switch had accidentally been flipped when we boarded the plane and because it was not hooked up to the sensor pad, the alarm was going off. It was quite funny, but a little alarming to the other passengers on the plane, especially because in the midst of the searching for the mysterious beeping noise, my husband blurts out "It sounds like it is coming from the wing!" Nice one dear!
We live in Baltimore, Maryland, but call Ontario, Canada home. Before Lilah was born, my husband and I would drive the roughly 10 hours back and forth. Lilah was born in Ontario so we drove when we came back to Baltimore when she was just a month old, but at that time she was still sleeping more than she was awake and slept most of the way (we also stayed the night in a hotel and did the drive over two days). Since then, we have yet to brave the trip in the car because Lilah is older and more active and would need more frequent stops making the 10 hour drive significantly longer. Instead, we have been flying back and forth when we travel home.
Lilah and I flew alone for the first trip back when she was about 4.5 months old. I was a little stressed out about travelling alone with an infant. I was worried about whether or not she would sleep, if and when she would eat and where I was going to feed her, if she would have trouble with her ears on the plane, if she would cry on the plane...and the list went on. Looking back, I really didn't need to worry so much (which is the way it usually plays out).
It was an exhausting day...30 minute drive to the airport, 1.5 hours waiting for our flight, 1.5 hour flight, 30 minutes waiting for baggage, 2 hour drive home. Despite the fact that it was a long day for both of us, Lilah was FANTASTIC! She stuck fairly closely to her normal eating and sleeping schedule which was great. On our first flight, I was lucky enough to find a seat between two very nice women who were helpful and accommodating. I wanted to breastfeed as the plane was taking off to make sure Lilah didn't have any problems with her ears. The woman to my left was more than happy to have Lilah's feet dangling over her lap and the woman to my right was great about trying to shield me a little so I didn't expose myself to the other passengers.
I started to feed Lilah a little too early and she was actually finished nursing before the plane took off. Even though she has never had a pacifier before, I gave one to her just as added assurance. She sucked on it a little, but was soon fast asleep. She slept for just over half of the flight and when she woke up, she was perfectly content to play on my lap for the duration. She did start to get a little antsy toward the end of the flight because it is pretty tight quarters when you are travelling with a lap baby (as a side note, make sure you do a diaper change before you board because there is NO space to do it once you are on the plane unless you are travelling with another person that can help).
On the way back, I wasn't as lucky in my seat choice. I ended up sitting beside a rather antisocial man who seemed slightly annoyed that he was seated next to a baby. I attempted to nurse as the plane was taking off, but again, Lilah was finished before lift-off. She took the pacifier a little more eagerly the second time and again didn't seem to have any problems with her ears. She did cry more during this flight because she was a little overtired and was having trouble falling asleep. She did eventually sleep and the rest of the trip was a breeze.
We recently took the same trip as a family which was much more relaxing! Having a second pair of hands was great! I had the same game plan for this trip (to nurse during take-off, then offer a pacifier) which worked about the same as the last time. Lilah slept during both flights, but had a lot of trouble falling asleep during the flight back to Baltimore which was a little stressful for my husband and I. I was trying not to be stressed out and kept telling myself that it didn't matter what anyone else thought, but it was a challenge never the less (I am not sure which was more stressful for my husband...the crying or having to watch Lilah as she stood on my lap with her hands on either side of the window looking like she was going to jump out of the plane. It was really quite amusing to see my husband squirm in his seat as if she could actually fall out of the plane).
Funny story...
As we were sitting on the plane waiting to take off on our way to Detroit, we noticed a beeping noise. We didn't think much of it until other people on the plane started to ask "What is that beeping?" Everyone started checking their phones and other electronic devices. We don't have a cell phone so didn't think it could possibly be us, but my husband picked up his carry on bag just to check. Sure enough, the beeping was coming from our carry on bag! We had packed Lilah's baby monitor in our carry on bag so that it wouldn't get broken in our checked luggage. It is set to sense her movements when she is sleeping and alarm us when there is none. The switch had accidentally been flipped when we boarded the plane and because it was not hooked up to the sensor pad, the alarm was going off. It was quite funny, but a little alarming to the other passengers on the plane, especially because in the midst of the searching for the mysterious beeping noise, my husband blurts out "It sounds like it is coming from the wing!" Nice one dear!
Leaving Baby for the First Time
I recently left my baby with someone other than her father for the first time to attend my sister's wedding. It was one of the hardest things I have done as a parent to date. She was with my husband's parents so she was in good hands, but I thought about her all afternoon and evening and checked in more times than was necessary to see how she was doing. After all, it was the first time that she was being given a bottle by someone other than my husband, that she was being put to sleep by someone other than us, that she was being driven around by someone else and that she was apart from us! That is a lot of 'firsts' for one afternoon/evening.
I am sure it will come as no surprise that she was just fine. Her nap schedule was a little screwed up and she went to bed later than usual, but that is just par for the course. She was happy and that is all that really matters. Luckily, she was just around the corner and I was able to slip away from the wedding between dinner and the first dance to nurse her. The last time I had nursed her was in the early afternoon so I was starting to feel a little 'full'. I didn't have a chance to pump at all while I was away from her so I was worried about being engorged, leaking, and screwing up my milk supply (I know, I do seem to worry a lot). In the end, there were no adverse affects on my milk supply nor did I leak, but my breasts were full (although not painfully or uncomfortable so).
We picked her up at about midnight and transported her back to my parent's house. She must have been wondering what the heck was going on; it is not everyday we rouse her from a deep sleep and pack her up in her car seat. When we arrived home, I nursed her and she went right back to sleep. Everything seemed to be back to normal the next day and the anxiety I had been experiencing about leaving her had disappeared. Mind you, I am no hurry to leave her again and don't plan on doing so unless it is absolutely necessary (at least until she is a little older).
I am sure it will come as no surprise that she was just fine. Her nap schedule was a little screwed up and she went to bed later than usual, but that is just par for the course. She was happy and that is all that really matters. Luckily, she was just around the corner and I was able to slip away from the wedding between dinner and the first dance to nurse her. The last time I had nursed her was in the early afternoon so I was starting to feel a little 'full'. I didn't have a chance to pump at all while I was away from her so I was worried about being engorged, leaking, and screwing up my milk supply (I know, I do seem to worry a lot). In the end, there were no adverse affects on my milk supply nor did I leak, but my breasts were full (although not painfully or uncomfortable so).
We picked her up at about midnight and transported her back to my parent's house. She must have been wondering what the heck was going on; it is not everyday we rouse her from a deep sleep and pack her up in her car seat. When we arrived home, I nursed her and she went right back to sleep. Everything seemed to be back to normal the next day and the anxiety I had been experiencing about leaving her had disappeared. Mind you, I am no hurry to leave her again and don't plan on doing so unless it is absolutely necessary (at least until she is a little older).
We Started Solids!
Last night was the big night...we started solid foods! We started with the recommended rice cereal mixed with warmed breast milk. In the beginning, it is suggested that you serve up smooth and fairly runny foods so I am not sure whether my daughter realized there was rice cereal in there or if she thought I was just feeding her breast milk with a spoon! Anyway, Lilah gobbled it right up (about a tablespoon) while her daddy caught it all on video. I had a hunch she was going to be an eager eater...she didn't even make any strange faces!
I had originally planned on lunchtime feedings for the first week (it is suggested you offer solids once a day for the first week), but because both my husband and I wanted to be there, we decided to start out with dinnertime feedings. The literature out there is somewhat confusing when it comes to the timing of starting solid foods. Some books note that you should wait until after a milk feeding so as not to reduce the amount of milk baby is eating. Others suggest feeding before milk so baby is hungry (but not too hungry). I didn't do either. I breastfed Lilah and served up the rice cereal about 45 minutes later. The rice cereal must have kicked her metabolism into high gear because she wanted a top-up of milk shortly after the cereal. Introducing the cereal certainly did reduce the amount of milk she had because she then fed again at bedtime as usual.
We are going to stick with rice cereal for the next couple of days and then move on to carrots, sweet potato, rutabaga, pears, and applesauce. I plan on making all of my own baby food and can't wait to get cooking!
I had originally planned on lunchtime feedings for the first week (it is suggested you offer solids once a day for the first week), but because both my husband and I wanted to be there, we decided to start out with dinnertime feedings. The literature out there is somewhat confusing when it comes to the timing of starting solid foods. Some books note that you should wait until after a milk feeding so as not to reduce the amount of milk baby is eating. Others suggest feeding before milk so baby is hungry (but not too hungry). I didn't do either. I breastfed Lilah and served up the rice cereal about 45 minutes later. The rice cereal must have kicked her metabolism into high gear because she wanted a top-up of milk shortly after the cereal. Introducing the cereal certainly did reduce the amount of milk she had because she then fed again at bedtime as usual.
We are going to stick with rice cereal for the next couple of days and then move on to carrots, sweet potato, rutabaga, pears, and applesauce. I plan on making all of my own baby food and can't wait to get cooking!
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Introducing the Bottle
A few people have asked me to blog on how I went about introducing my daughter to a bottle. This was something I was very worried about before she was born! I knew I had to return to work only 6 short weeks after giving birth so getting Lilah to successfully take a bottle early on was essential. Every book I consulted (and the nurses in my prenatal breastfeeding class) suggested introducing the bottle at the 6 week mark after breastfeeding had been well established. This strategy was clearly not going to work for me and made me even more stressed out. My husband and I decided that we would start trying to get Lilah to take a bottle at the 4 week mark because that way we had two weeks to get it right before I returned to work. Luckily, breastfeeding came relatively easy for me and by the 4 week mark, I was feeling pretty confident. It took a few trys to get Lilah to take a bottle, but in the end we were successful. Here are some tips based on my own experience:
Tip # 1: Have a variety of nipple and bottle types on hand.
We initially tried Playtex VentAire bottles and nipples, but Lilah refused them. The only bottle and nipple we were able to get her to take (and the only one she takes to this day) were the Medela bottles and nipples.
Tip # 2: Make sure someone other than you gives baby the bottle, but have them simulate the nursing experience as much as possible.
The first few times my husband gave my daughter a bottle, he sat in the same chair that I had been feeding her in for several weeks and he tried to hold her in much the same way as I did when I was nursing her.
Tip #3: Take it slow.
Give the bottle only a few times during the first week and then slowly increase the number of bottle feedings in later weeks.
Tip #4: Be consistent.
We lived with my parents for the first 5 weeks of my daughter's life. In the process of moving back to our own place, we went about a week without giving Lilah a bottle. When my husband tried it again, she refused. He then found that by walking around with her in his arms, he was able to get her to eat. This lasted for a few days and then he was able to sit down and feed her again.
Introducing the bottle can be a frustrating experience for everyone. If you are not successful on the first try, wait a day or two and try again with a different bottle and/or nipple. And remember, don't persist if baby is upset as this will only make things more difficult. Good luck!
Tip # 1: Have a variety of nipple and bottle types on hand.
We initially tried Playtex VentAire bottles and nipples, but Lilah refused them. The only bottle and nipple we were able to get her to take (and the only one she takes to this day) were the Medela bottles and nipples.
Tip # 2: Make sure someone other than you gives baby the bottle, but have them simulate the nursing experience as much as possible.
The first few times my husband gave my daughter a bottle, he sat in the same chair that I had been feeding her in for several weeks and he tried to hold her in much the same way as I did when I was nursing her.
Tip #3: Take it slow.
Give the bottle only a few times during the first week and then slowly increase the number of bottle feedings in later weeks.
Tip #4: Be consistent.
We lived with my parents for the first 5 weeks of my daughter's life. In the process of moving back to our own place, we went about a week without giving Lilah a bottle. When my husband tried it again, she refused. He then found that by walking around with her in his arms, he was able to get her to eat. This lasted for a few days and then he was able to sit down and feed her again.
Introducing the bottle can be a frustrating experience for everyone. If you are not successful on the first try, wait a day or two and try again with a different bottle and/or nipple. And remember, don't persist if baby is upset as this will only make things more difficult. Good luck!
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