Qs on first foods and food combining with breast milk

[Guest guest]

Dear Julie;

I've run out of time for today, don't want you to think I'm ignoring

you. Good questions!

Be back soon -

Ysha

[Guest guest]

Dear Julie;

Thank you for kindly reminding me of your questions. I answer from

what I have learned, what I have done with my youngest child, from the

occasional clients I have with older babies like this, and the

ayurvedic principles involved. Replies interleaved ...

 

> as I begin to look ahead for my 4 month old and introducing him to

foods at 6 months while still breast feeding, some logistical

questions come up.

>

> If we think of breast milk as (obviously) milk, then the ayurvedic

> approach would say do not mix milk with anything other than other

sweet foods.

 

Julie, This would include things like (no salt please in this case)

cereals, cooked carrot, rice, yam, like that, right? But not with

fruit. Some little ghee and gentle digestive seasonings such as

cumin, coriander, fennel, turmeric, fresh ginger, can be used a bit

also, and when served separate then a pinch of salt is good.

 

> Now, my understanding is that breast milk is superior in its

nutritional value to all other foods so in the period of 6 months to a

year mother is just introducing foods to get baby used to eating and

to make sure there are no allergies etc.

 

My understanding and experience has a little different slant here, in

that babies have immature digestive system until around 6 months

(first tooth, with digestive enzymes also, and really expressing the

desire) after which it is natural to begin providing appropriate

foods, gradually to be sure all is handled well.

 

Certainly breast milk is Nature's best life insurance, even, for

infants, designed to completely support our progeny as they grow into

being able to naturally utilize foods which provide them nutrients for

both future growth needs and longer lasting nourishment.

 

As long as mother is in good health and not becoming depleted,

stressed, or eating out of balance herself which would create

inferiour quality/doshically imbalancing milk, mother's milk is after

all a (so well designed) transitional support food - From around 6

months (or a little less often for males) to around the first year of

life.

 

After this time Ayurveda says the value is primarily emotional, ie not

a primary best food source, but still providing some nourishment of

course. Allowing the natural maternal reproductive avialability to

regenerate and then be available again for another egg and sperm to do

their journey. This is not to say we are recommending a constant

reproductive focus like that. But most of the mothers I see

breastfeeding after a year are doing it partly because they think they

SHOULD, partly because of course they love it and Baby keeps asking,

and partly they are very depleated and it divides their heart. One

can do the awesome Ayurvedic rejuvenative support therapies to more

easily continue, and of course sometimes stressful circumstances make

it natural also to continue with this emotional support. I'm advised

by my ayurvedic teachers, after a year, don't offer and don't refuse.

 

> So, if you don't want to mix let's say dahl or veggies with breast

milk and at same time do not want to skip a breast feeding to

introduce solids and not have baby eating more than 2 hours apart,

then how does it work?

So, it is good to gradually work into three meals a day and fit the

breastfeeding in between, or with breakfast cereal. Certainly, if you

are beginning with rice water and shifting gradually (yes,

 

> Also, I heard a interesting point at a LLL meeting (LLL is my main

> mothering support group at present) the point was about weaning that

> many babies appear to want to wean around 9 months because as new

> foods are bring introduced they fill up on those and then don't have

> interest in breast feeding, so it was suggested that one should breast

> feed baby before introducing foods--and by introducing food they

> suggested only giving baby a tablespoon or so of a given food just to

> get used to it. So how can I not mix milk and other foods and not have

> my baby lose interest in breast feeding.

 

Filling up on other foods, if they are healthy and carefully

introduced, not just filler carbs and all, is fine. WHat often also

happens around 9 months is the babies self wean not only because of

the food thing, and probably snacks, but because they sometimes feel

the depleted state of Mom. I personally had one of my babies like

this, weaned at 10 months. I was sad! One of mine nursed for hmm,

2.5 or 3.5 years, I don't remenmber.

>

> I hope I don't sound too hyper about all of this--and stuck in the

> details--but I am hoping to get some good ideas of how to balance out

> all of the valuable knowledge I'm getting from different venues.

> Thanks!

 

Much good info is relative to the rest of the working body of

knowledge they have to work with. When more info comes, the picture

naturally can expand to both respect where they are coming from, and

sometimes see there is more to the picture too.

 

I welcome any and all wisdom here, there is likely more that can be

said. I have not taken the time to discuss the recommended firest

foods from an ayurvedic point of view which Beeara was referring to.

(Yes, use the liquid first, not the solids, that was a typo!)

 

But I have a mother's day dinner to dress for ... and wish all of you

a very loving mother's day.

 

Ysha