It seems to me that everyone on the Internet has a different opinion on what to do with your baby. On everything from diapers to feeding to sleeping to playing to everything!
I don't know about you, but every time I have an issue with my babes, I turn to the Internet and search and search and search for an answer, and every answer I get seems to contradict and be the opposite of the last answer I read. It can make a new mom go CRAZY!!
And these differences in opinions that everyone seem to have are not just little, simple articles with suggestions, they are my way or the highway, I am the only right person, do what I say or you are a bad mom articles.
And all I'm trying to do is be a good mom and do what's best for my baby, and usually end up more confused and frustrated after searching the Internet then I was before.
This is what happened with the whole idea of baby food. And so from here on out, I am going to try something new and go with my motherly intuition and do what I think to be best for my little bug. I am not saying to throw caution to the wind and do whatever I feel, like feed my baby a T-bone steak at 3 1/2 months old, but by doing a little research, asking some "real life people" and not the Internet, I am going to find solutions for my baby problems.
So back to the topic at hand... starting solids. Here is a little bit of my story as to why I wanted to start my little Bug on solids.
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| I Love this little girl's facial expression! :) |
He would nurse a little bit and fall back to sleep with in about 5 to 10 minutes, without really getting a good feeding in, then he would sleep for 45 minutes, wake up starving, eat a little bit and crash out again, and sleep a little... and this would continue for the rest of the night.
Needless to say, we were both exhausted after about a week of this! I knew I was still producing enough milk because I still had milk left once he was done eating and feel asleep, and he was only eating off of one side. So my supply wasn't my issue. And after talking to my mom and my mother-in-law, I decided that maybe he was ready for a little something more before bed.
So then I read on the Internet and there were some VERY passionate articles about starting your baby on solids before 6 months. I felt like a horrible mom! Why would I even think about starting my baby on solids at 3 1/2 months old?! And starting him on rice cereal of all things. I should be locked up for the monster that I am! Well that's pretty much how I felt after reading these articles.
But then my wonderful, trustworthy voice of reason know as my husband stepped in and made me think about our situation a little bit. Here were some things we discussed...
*Isaac was born a week past his due date so he was almost 4 months old, closer to 4 than 3
*Both of us started rice cereal when we were 3 months and don't have allergies or anything
*My husband's brother started eating cereal at 1 1/2 months because he was just SO hungry all the time!
*Our boy is growing like CRAZY! I put clothes away all the time that don't fit him! He is 3 months, 3 weeks old right now and hardly fits into 6 month clothes, I am just getting ready to wash his 9 month clothes!
*All babies develop differently! 4 to 6 months is a guideline for feeding. Not everyone gives birth to a baby of a strapping (and handsome) farm boy! My husband's family is BIG! There are a lot of very tall men on his side who eat a lot of food!
*He is hardly eating any cereal (less than a tablespoon) and it is mixed with breastmilk and made very runny.
*I am his mommy and I know him best, not some article on the Internet! - this is the most important one!
And after thinking about all those factors, I decided I would try feeding him some rice cereal.
The first night he thought it was pretty yummy :), but it didn't help with sleeping at all. :(
The second night he really didn't like it a whole lot, and it didn't help with sleeping and his tummy was pretty upset and I had to give him gripe water. I kind of became discouraged because I really wanted this to be a solution for our sleep situation.
The third and fourth night I skipped because I didn't want it to hurt his tummy again. And of course I turned back to my hateful Internet friends to tell me what a bad mom I was! But then my own voice of reason set in and said, this is something brand new for your baby! His tummy is going to have to get used to it a little bit!
So I tried again on the fourth night and my little Bug loved it!! He was pushing my hand with his hand to his mouth to get the cereal in there faster and if I didn't go fast enough, he started to cry! And he had a normal messy diaper without having to have gripe water! His sleep was a little better, but not great.
The fifth night once again he loved his runny rice cereal! He finished the one tablespoon cereal mixed with 3 tablespoons breast milk and wanted more! But I didn't want to push a good thing too far, so I didn't make more. And the best part is his sleep! He slept for 2 1/2 hours, then FOUR HOURS!!!, then 2 1/2 more hours. That may not sound that great, but that is the first time I had slept more than 3 hours straight in a long time! I felt so rested after that four hour stretch! He woke up this morning feeling happy and playful and we have been having a great day!:)
So I guess I am writing this blog entry to help moms out there like me.
Maybe you aren't too confident in your mommy skills yet, and feel like you don't know what to and are turning everywhere for answers.
Maybe you have been searching high and low on the Internet and in books to give you answers.
Maybe you are sleep deprived and looking for a solution.
I say this to you, follow your heart. You are the mommy and you are the one who knows your little love best. You can read him better than anyone! A mother's instinct is a real thing, and God has equipped us mommy's to know what is best for our babies.
Believe in your self and do what you believe to be best for your baby! Your baby needs you to listen to his cues, the cues that only you as mommy know! He loves you so much and he has the confidence in you to do a wonderful job of bringing him up to be a happy, healthy kiddo!
I pray this gives you encouragement and peace!
Cassandra :)
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