BOTTLE FEEDING
Friday, May 8th, 2009‘Over the years millions and millions of babies have been successfully bottle fed and have come to no harm. If this kind of feeding is necessary, the mother should accept the fact and not have “hang-ups” over it, for the baby will certainly thrive and develop into a happy and healthy child and adult.
‘When bottle feeding the ideal is to hold the baby as close to your body as possible, for close body contact, once more, increases the mother-baby bond which we believe is important to normal development.
‘Is cow’s milk given straight?’ Karen asked.
‘No, cow’s milk must be modified to make it suitable for the baby. Many excellent commercial brands are available which have been modified to simulate mother’s milk as much as possible. Often the proper amount of vitamins and minerals have been added to provide the necessary requirements.
‘Once more, demand feeding may be practised. But, it has been found that overweight is more common in bottle-fed babies. Whereas a baby will automatically gauge how much breast milk he or she takes, a vigilant parent may think it essential that the baby drain the last dregs from a measured amount of fluid in a bottle. Often the baby is best barometer of food needs.’
‘We often hear horrible stories about breast feeding. Some claim it will ruin your figure; your breasts will look terrible afterwards; that you develop fat on the hips and thighs and around the tummy, and so on. What do you say about this?’
‘The breasts certainly increase in size before the birth and during lactation,’ I said. ‘This is inevitable. After it is all over, the breasts tend to return to their previous size. Sometimes, there is a change in the fat distribution of the mother’s body, possibly because of the various hormonal changes that took place during the whole experience. Many women find breast dimensions similar to the time before they were pregnant. Others find them smaller as the fat deposits have lessened.
‘Many women put on from three to six kilograms (6-14 lb) in weight, from the time before pregnancy to the time the baby is a few months old. What’s more, this weight is often hard to dislodge. It tends to accumulate around the hips, thighs and buttocks and abdominal wall. It is often a consequence of the woman’s eating more during these months, perhaps in the hope of producing enough good-quality milk for the baby. But, commonsense eating habits and a sensible diet after it is all over will help her regain her normal pre-pregnancy shape again.’
‘Normally my breasts are quite small,’ Karen said. ‘They are large right now, but will this affect my milk-producing ability?’
‘No, breast size is no indication of how good your supply of milk will be. Often women with small breasts prove to be the most prolific milk producers, whereas many large-busted women are the opposite. Large breasts simply mean they contain more fat, and this has nothing to do with the milk glands and milk production. Aren’t you lucky?’
“What about taking medicines during breast feeding? Is this safe?’
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