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| Spoon feeding a baby image courtesy: webmd |
FEEDING BABIES WITH SOLID FOOD FROM 3 MONTHS OLD HELPS THEM SLEEP BETTER. I have a witness now.
recent research carried out by King’s College London and The St George’s University London has come to confirm what I always told mothers on this blog and outside.
About a thousand babies were monitored over a period of time and the results show that babies who were fed solid foods as early as three months slept better and longer than babies who fed exclusively on breastmilk. Some babies have really suffered in
this life o, those whose mums do not really lactate like others, they suck and cry and suck and cry sometimes because the milk entering that tiny little mouth is not enough.
The babies suck for hours and still feel hungry and cranky because they want more food to be able to feel satisfied and relaxed and happy.
Well, Doctors have confirmed what I always told you new moms who care to listen. When I see mothers argue about what to feed babies, at what age to introduce solid foods and how some even delay it till baby gets to one year or even older, I wonder. How were we fed by our parents?
PARENTING IS EASIER WHEN BABIES ARE FED SOLID FOOD EARLY ENOUGH
These days, raising babies is getting tougher and tougher in Nigeria as there are so many new rules being introduced.
HOW I RAISED ALL MY KIDS WITH SOLIDS FROM THREE MONTHS ON
I have raised five kids by God’s grace and those in school are performing above average still by God’s grace.
NO FORMULA FOR ALL MY BABIES
Even though I do not condemn nor judge mothers who do formula, I never gave baby formula to my kids because hubby referred to them as cow breast milk and kept cautioning us not to give his babies cow breast milk. There was never formula in the house maybe too because we didn’t have need for it.
All my babies were breastfed and by three months, they all were introduced to homemade ogi/akamu. After making the homemade akamu, I still made it nutritious enough for a 3 month old baby. All my kids except the first, started eating akamu/pap at 3 months. We practiced exclusive breastfeeding for my first child only.
The rest, I gave breastmilk and water only for three months, then introduced pap at 3 months. At six months, my babies eat every food served the family. They may not eat much but no matter how small, we start introducing them to solids plus the breastmilk which they continue suckling till they are 10 months.
At 10 months, all my kids were weaned except my last boy ofcourse who preferred food to breastmilk and lost interest in breastfeeding. At 9 months, he stopped taking breastmilk by himself so I didn’t go through the process of weaning with him. He loves cooked food and as soon as he could talk, this boy started making sentences like ” Mummy I want cooked food”
For moms who say it’s wrong to feed beans or plantain to a six month old baby, I put it to you dear mom that you are wrong oh and I am a witness. I fed my kids with food from 3 months old and they did really really great.
If I tell you that my kids come first in School, it’s not because I’m boasting, it’s just to confirm that babies who are not exclusively fed on breast milk do well so stop telling people that baby friendly babies do better when it comes to intelligence or smartness.
My kids never enjoyed baby friendly nursing and in fact the one that just graduated this year from secondary school is a science student and believe you me her WAEC SCORES came with 5As and 4Bs.
She scored As in both further Mathematics and Mathematic. Even English Language that we didn’t encourage her to aim for an A sef, my bay girl scored A in English Language.
Her JAMB score was 308. She has always performed above average and honestly speaking, this girl started taking pap at 3 months, joined the whole family to eat all meals at the dining table (excluding peppery foods).
When I hear mothers try to convince new moms to feed their kids exclusively on breast milk, I just laugh and wonder why women are not allowed to just do what works for them when it comes to raising their babies.
The few moms around me who had to resume work 3 months after birth, I always encourage them to introduce my special homemade pap (I’ll try and post the recipe her). Those who listened and gave their babies, always came back to thank me.
With my kids too, once they start eating pap at that 3 months old, the sleep pattern automatically changes, they sleep longer and wake up rested and happier.
So, why am I making this post today? Because of what Iread online this morning from American Pediatricians, about feeding kids solids at 3 months….
Read below as reported by The Insider
We have heard it before from a well-meaning relative:
“Give that baby some ‘real’ food and it will sleep all night!”
We didn’t always listen, though.
MORE SLEEP FOR BABIES WHO ARE FED SOLIDS EARLIER – American Journal
But this summer, JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association) Pediatrics released controversial study results claiming that feeding solids to babies earlier can indeed lead to more sleep.
This concept directly contradicts the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (AAP) current guidelines, which recommend — backed by most pediatricians — that babies consume only formula or breast milk until the age of 6 months.
“Parental frustration and desire for happy babies were big motivators to introduce solids,” the AAP guidelines said. “Other family members and friends were influencers and provided false evidence that introducing solids helped calm fussy babies.”
However, the new study, conducted by King’s College London and St George’s, University of London, monitored 1,303 3-month-olds, who were divided into two groups: babies who solely breastfed until 6 months old and babies who were given some solids in addition to breast milk starting at 3 months.
Findings showed that babies slept 16 minutes longer if they were fed solids earlier, along with “less waking” and fewer “sleep problems” than purely breastfed babies.
The babies being fed solids earlier experienced half of the sleeping problems, such as crying and irritability, the BBC reported.
According to WebMD, 40 percent of parents already give their children solids before the age of 4 months, following similar logic to what the new study found: Babies seem hungry and irritable until given solids.
Feeding your baby solid foods early cannot harm them, rather it makes the job easier for you as they tend to sleep more when they are well fed.
ALSO SEE how I make nutritious pap for my 3 month old baby.
If only I knew this when my baby was younger. The stress of raising only has one now has discouraged me from getting pregnant again. Don't give this, don't give that .like what?
My mum advised me to give my baby ogi at three months but I didn't listen thinking she's old school.
Wow! This is a real eye opener for me. Thank you sooooo much for this piece. I have already taken notes. Currently at the end of my 2nd trimester with my first babies, and I’v been reading everything I could lay my hands and eyes on, on how babies should be fed.
This is misinforming mothers a lot! While I do not negate the fact that u can introduce almost any solid food provided its boiled soft and mashed from 6months, please do not give mothers the idea that exclusive breastfeeding is wrong!! Stating that ur kids are doing great in school is not research by the way! No one said kids that are not exclusively breast fed don’t do well academically.
The benefits of exclusive breastfeeding goes waay beyond academic performance and it’s prescribed based on years of research!
I suggest u do proper research on allllll the benefits before u advice any mother against it! I have clinical experience to back my favoring exclusive breastfeeding, not just the AAPs recommendation! And sleeping better at night can NEVER balance the risks of not properly breastfeeding a child or the advantages of exclusive breastfeeding!
Thank you.