Milk requirement of your baby

I used to worry a lot (sometimes unnecessarily) related to my milk supply, and if my son was getting enough milk or not. In fact, I have observed that I was not alone, this is the story of many new mothers. Specially, when it comes to breastfeeding, it is impossible to know how much milk baby is getting and if it is sufficient or not. What I also feel is that the concern related to milk supply can be a part of post-partum depression, so it may be better to consult a psychologist if you feel so. Below was the recommendation of our pediatrician and lactation consultant and I now realize that they were so right.

• Pee count should be at least 6 in span of 24 hour.

• Baby should be gaining appropriate weight.

And remember, if your baby does not look chubby, it doesn't mean he is not gaining enough weight. A better measure of your baby's nutrition can be in terms of weight gain. Baby should double his lowest birth weight by the end of 6 months and it should be triple by his first birthday. E.g. say baby's birth weight is 3.2kg, and lowest weight is 3kg (since all babies loose some weight after birth) so by end of 6 months his weight should be at least 6kg and similarly it should be at least 9kg on his first birthday. 

Many mothers also worry related to frequency of feeding. Frequency of feeding varies from child to child. My son's feeding frequency has mostly been on higher side but according to our pediatrician as well as lactation counsellor, my baby is doing well in all aspects and there is no milk supply issue. 

If your baby is happy and active and meeting all his milestones, then please don't worry and keep feeding on demand or once every 2-3 hours (whichever is lower) until your child regains his birth weight. After that, you can slowly increase the time between feeds and later conform only to on-demand feeds. There should not be any issue if you keep a close check on the two things mentioned in this post.

Protecting your child from mosquito bite

Saving your child from mosquitoes is very important. Being a resident of NCR, getting rid of it completely is impossible here. So we try to minimize them and take necessary precautions and measures. I am writing below some practices that I follow to keep my child protected from mosquito bites, I hope they will be helpful for you too.

 

• Keep doors and windows of your house closed during the evening. Even a slight hole in doors/windows can help mosquitoes sneak into your house. Any gap in the bottom of doors should be sealed appropriately. I have seen people using newspapers for it. you can check this for sealing the gap. I have personally not used this product but did a research around it and I think it is a good option.

• You can keep camphor near doors and windows. It will help to keep mosquitoes outside (Don't keep it near your child if her age is less than 2 year as camphor vapors can be harmful for your child)

• Use mosquito spray 1-2 times a week. Spray in corners. After spraying it, close the room for 30-45 min and you should stay outside the room because its vapors can be harmful to you and your child.

• Use anti mosquito racquet to kill mosquitoes. Please keep it away from reach of children. Its shock is very bad. Sometimes there is current even when it is off. So don't even leave it off near your child.

• Use baby mattress with net. My son used it for 2-3 months only because he was more interested to sleep very near to us but many kids are happy to sleep in it even for one year. So it is a very good option to save your child from mosquitoes as long as she sleeps in it happily.

• Use mosquito net in night if your child co sleeps with you. Please kill all the mosquitoes with racquet in it before sleeping otherwise mosquitoes are going to have party inside net. Please choose the size as per your bed size. They are available in different sizes (for single bed, queen size bed, king size bed etc. etc.). If baby sleeps in a separate cot, then you might already  have net attached to it. 

• Use baby mosquito net during the day time. Please buy mosquito net of good quality. Once we bought it from a local store and in few days, its string  got detached and my son just got escaped from being hurt. The one mentioned here is of very good quality, we have personally used it and are still using. After 4-5 months of age, babies start rolling so they don't want to stay in net. If that's the case, you can put muslin cloth over baby to protect them from mosquitoes. Muslin cloth is airy so putting it on their face  will also be fine.

I tried mosquito patches and anti mosquito baby fabric roll-on as well but it didn't work for us. 

What to apply on mosquito bites: 

How hard we try but mosquito somehow find a way to bite and especially our little children. Normally mosquito bite marks disappear on their own in couple of days. But you can apply any of following to prevent itching: 

• lactocalamine lotion or any other soothing lotion.
• Mother sparsh mosquito bite cream. 
• extra virgin Coconut oil - This is a very good oil. I have been using it for my baby's massage in summer since his birth. This is bit costly but totally worth its price.

Breastfeeding myths and facts

Breastfeeding is nature's best gift to women. It is not just a process but an emotional journey for both mother and child. Unfortunately, not all mothers are able to breastfeed their babies. Do you know that 99% of mothers have sufficient milk supply but still the percentage of breastfeeding mothers (especially exclusive breastfeeding) is very less than that. I believe it is because of lack of knowledge and due to old age myths of breastfeeding. So in this post, I would like to talk about breastfeeding myths to make your breastfeeding journey easier and smooth : 

• Myth: Soft breasts mean low milk supply.
• Reality: This is the biggest myth and worry of almost all mothers. Soft breasts after 6 weeks is completely normal. After 6 weeks milk supply starts establishing. But if it is before 6 weeks, you should definitely consult a certified lactation counselor or your gynecologist.

• Myth : Don't feed the child right after taking shower. Milk will be cold.
• Reality: Well this is completely illogical. Just make sure (especially in winters) if you have taken a head bath, water droplets from the head do not drip on your child. I have fed my son just after a bath many times and he never had any issue with it. 

• Myth: Stop breastfeeding if you are ill
• Reality: This will be your biggest mistake if you do so. In fact in such situations, breastmilk will have antibodies to protect the child from illness. If you have some contagious disease (common cold etc), wear a mask while breastfeeding. 

• Myth: If child is putting his hands in mouth he is hungry.
• Reality: Well because of this myth many moms introduce formula to their child. This is just an age related milestone. Around 2.5 month of age, children start exploring their body parts and surroundings. So putting hand in mouth is not necessarily a sign of hunger.

• Myth: Breastmilk is not sufficient for child. Top feed is necessary.
• Reality: Many people specially our parents' generation believes that only Breastmilk is not sufficient for child which is absolutely wrong. No other milk can be as nutritious as mother's milk because it is tailored as per your baby's needs so unless and until you have a valid reason to introduce formula, don't do it. 

• Myth: If child is not chubby, there is problem with mother's milk supply.
• Reality: Every child is different. Infact there are many story of twins who are breastfed and one is chubby other is slim. If Child is happy, active and meeting all his milestones on time stop worrying momma and keep feeding.

• Myth: If child sleeps while feeding, he can be hungry.
• Reality: Well this is very funny myth. Children can't starve. If child is sleeping,  it means his hunger is satiated. Infact it is very normal to sleep while nursing and it is very convenient method to put baby to sleep. But remember that until child regains her birth weight, he should be fed every 1.5-2 hour even he is sleeping. 

• Myth: Mother should eat while breastfeeding. Child will feel full for longer. 
• Reality: This is a harmless myth. If you want to eat you can, there is no issue. But make sure you don't throw anything hot on baby. After ~3 months children become very active even while feeding so if you are eating while feeding, they can actually get hurt accidentally. But it has nothing to do with child's satisfaction. 

• Myth: If child is demanding breastfeed frequently, there is milk supply issue.
• Reality: Breastmilk is not just food for babies. Babies demand  bm for many reasons. E.g. clusterfeeding, For comfort,  for sleeping, just for sucking, colic etc. etc. Breasts are their home. It is the safest place for them after mother's womb.

• Myth: Breastmilk tastes exactly like what mother eats. 
• Reality: Again because of this myth many mothers are not able to enjoy their meals. While it is true that mother's food intake impacts quality of milk but breastmilk doesn't exactly taste what mother eats. Yes mother should avoid ice cream and other cold items if it is winter season to avoid cold and cough since cold is contagious disease, baby can also catch it via your touch, sneeze etc but not via breastmilk.

• Myth: Mother should feed from both breasts in every feeding session.
• Reality: Well, this myth is very harmful. It is absolutely normal to feed from one breast only in one session. If you tend to feed from both breasts, your child may miss hind milk(milk that comes later) which has higher fat content and responsible for weight gain in babies. So unless one breast is completely empty don't switch to another. But make sure in next nursing session you start from other breast. 

• Myth: Breastmilk reduces after few weeks so better to start top feed at early stage. 
• Reality: Breastmilk doesn't reduce but your body understands how much to produce. Initially body doesn't know how much milk it has to produce so it produces so much milk that 2 babies can be fed but gradually milk supply gets established (in 6-8 weeks). Infact with introduction of formula milk, supply can actually reduce because breastmilk production is simple demand supply phenomenon. 

• Myth: If child finishes his meal in less time, there is some problem with milk supply. 
• Reality: New born takes a lot of time to finish one nursing session but with time it reduces; and after a point they finish it in 5 min or so but it doesn't mean there is some issue with milk supply or child remains hungry. With time children becomes pro at feeding and they don't want to spend whole time in feeding they are more interested in playing so they finish their meal rapidly. 

• Myth: Other breast should leak while breastfeeding. 
• Reality: For some woman, it is true while some doesn't leak. Both scenarios are completely normal. It has nothing to do with milk supply.

• Myth: If child is not spitting milk, he is not getting enough milk.
• Reality: Unfortunately because of this myth, many new mothers introduce formula. Spitting of milk is because of baby's immature digestive system. It has again nothing to do with milk supply. 

• Myth : Baby should be fed every 2 hours 
• Reality : It is true only until baby regains his birth weight. Once baby has attained his birth weight, feed on demand. As baby grows, feeding frequency may reduce because babies' capacity increases so they can go without feed for longer. In my case, my son's feeding frequency has always been 2-3 hours( on average). Many babies can go without feed for as long as 5 hours after 3-4 months. Don't worry about such numbers, keep feeding on demand once baby has regained his birth weight. 

Mommies, please don't introduce formula milk unless and until there is real need of it. Your milk supply is low if and only if

1) baby's pee count is less than 6 in 24 hours.

2) baby's weight gain is not appropriate.

These myths are my personal point of view that I have learned over time through my experience. If you face any issue in your breastfeeding journey, please discuss it with your respective gynecologist, pediatrician or lactation counsellor.

Feeding bra - I tried nursing bra from few brands and found this one most comfortable. This gives support to sagging breasts as well. 

Disclaimer: Product links mentioned on this page are amazon associate links. A very small amount of money comes to justparented.com when you purchase a product via the amazon affiliate link provided (at absolutely no extra cost to you !! ).

How to make foxnuts (makhana) powder

Foxnut powder can be a good nutritional add-on to your child's food, and it can be added to almost any recipe. I, personally, prefer to add one spoon of roasted foxnut (makhana) powder in my son's food while serving (porridge, khichdi, homemade cerelac, curd, etc.) to enhance the nutritional value of food. Making foxnut powder is very easy. You can prepare it,  store it in an air-tight container and use it on day to day basis. Here are the steps to make foxnut powder : 

• Dry roast foxnuts till it becomes crunchy and light brown. I add one tablespoon of homemade desi ghee in the beginning (it's an optional step). To perfectly roast, keep it on a low flame in a nonstick pan for around ~60-70 min. Keeping it on the high flame will cause it to burn in no time. So don't use high flame at all. Don't cover it with lid. After 10-15 min, you can stir it with a wooden spoon. Since we are using low flame, even you keep it for a longer time (5-10 min) or forget to switch off the flame, it will not burn. 

• Let it cool and then put roasted foxnuts in a mixer jar and use a mixer/grinder to make powder from it. 

Foxnut is a perfect gluten-free and guilt-free snack for adults as well. It is not just healthy but equally tasty as well. I prefer it over namkeen/chips etc. So you can roast foxnuts in more quantity while preparing foxnut powder for your kid, after roasting keep some portion of it aside, add black pepper and salt (or any other spices you like) in it and have it as a snack.  
Given below is an economic and good quality option to buy foxnuts. Or if you prefer, you can buy organic foxnuts from any local store.

Related posts : 

http://www.justparented.com/2021/04/food-options-for-babies.html

Disclaimer: Product links mentioned on this page are amazon associate links. A very small amount of money comes to justparented.com when you purchase a product via the amazon affiliate link provided (at absolutely no extra cost to you !! ).