Many mothers face the dilemma of feeding baby as most are unequipped in the initial stages for breast feeding. However, doctors recommend breast feeding to the new born baby as breast milk is more nutritious and protects the child from common ailments and teething diarrhea and toddlers vomiting.
Many parents opt for bottle feeding as this is hassle free and mothers are also aware about the quantity of milk the new born baby is consuming. It also leaves the mother free to pursue their normal life but mothers tend to forget that feeding breat milk helps them regain their figure while doing exercise after pregnancy!
Bottle baby tends to be heavier but in the later stages the infant baby is vulnerable to obesity. Another problem of bottle feeding is that the bottle baby tends to fall sick more often. The mother has to be in the thorough knowhow of the right amount of milk powder and water to be used in the baby food. The bottle should be sterilized before and after every feed. The nipple hole should also be checked as too small or too big a nipple creates problem for the bottle baby.
Weaning the baby from breast milk or bottle feed is a severe task for mothers as the baby refuses to give them up. The baby is entirely dependent on breast milk for the first four to six months and later starts solid food. Water is also introduced. When the child is eight to nine months old, external cow milk could be fed and the number of breast feed could be reduced to three times a day.
The purpose of weaning a baby is not only introducing regular food to the baby but it also develops a wide range of tastes in the baby. Introducing new food also informs the mother about the child’s toleration level of the recently initiated diet plan.. It is best to start with easily digestible fruits, vegetables and cereals. It is better to begin with one type of food at a time as the child should not be introduced to new tastes and textures too soon.
Apart from the cereal, mashed vegetables, lentils, beans and fruits could be started when the infant baby is around ten months old. However, it is best not to give any hard food like raw carrot, grapes or peanuts to a baby until they are three years old as such food items could cause choking. Once the baby begins to eat on their own, the child develops taste and would try to eat whichever food suits their taste bud. Feeding baby is an interesting task for mothers as it develops the close link between mother and child.
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