Mommy Moments – Feeding Time

This week’s Mommy Moments theme is feeding time.. Join with us on this meme and share with us your precious Mommy Moments.

When I learned that this week’s theme is feeding time, the only thing that comes in my mind is breastfeeding. I breastfed all my kids. I nursed Kayil for about a year, Mico for almost 2 years and now Chico is still purely breastfed (he is 9 months now). You can’t blame me if most of our feeding moments are with some skin exposure (ops!)

This is a helpful tips specially for new moms. When I had Kayil, his pediatrician, advised me not introduce solid foods as early as 4 months. HE says that I should delay the introduction of solid foods to my baby. This is quite confusing to me since my mom told me that we started eating solid foods as early as 2 months old. The explanation our pedia gave was early introduction of solid foods can lead to food allergies later on. Being the curios cat, I did not stopped until I learned the scientific reason behind it. According to Dr. Sears:

“The intestines are the body’s filtering system, screening out potentially harmful substances and letting in healthy nutrients. In the early months, this filtering system is immature. Between four and seven months a baby’s intestinal lining goes through a developmental growth spurt called closure, meaning the intestinal lining becomes more selective about what to let through. To prevent potentially-allergenic foods from entering the bloodstream, the maturing intestines secrete IgA , a protein immunoglobulin that acts like a protective paint, coating the intestines and preventing the passage of harmful allergens. In the early months, infant IgA production is low (although there is lots of IgA in human milk), and it is easier for potentially-allergenic food molecules to enter the baby’s system. Once food molecules are in the blood, the immune system may produce antibodies to that food, creating a food allergy . By six to seven months of age the intestines are more mature and able to filter out more of the offending allergens. This is why it’s particularly important to delay solids if there is a family history of food allergy, and especially to delay the introduction of foods to which other family members are allergic. ” I started feeding all my babies when they turned 5 months, aside from I followed my pedia’s advise, I also take into consideration some signs if baby is ready for solid foods. Here are the list of signs you should take note: Aside from the readiness of the intestine; 1. Tongue-thrust reflex. You will notice that young babies has the ability to push their tongue outward, some mistook it for babies likeness to eat, well in fact it is their defense mechanism to prevent choking. Any foreign objects that landed into their mouth were pushed outward by this reflex. 2. The baby is old enough to sit up. I think we can all agree that solid food feeding will never be a success if we feed babies on a nursing (or bottle feeding) position. it just don’t work and it can also lead to choking. Need I say more? 3. Lastly, and I think this one is most self explanatory, babies also need to chew. So I guess when the baby starts showing some pearly whites on their gum, you ca n be assured that they are ready for solid foods. As to what kind of food you should give as a starter.. banana seems to be the safest food.. delay eggs.. you don’t want your babies turning red as Chico did. LOL When did you start introducing solid foods to your bundles?

Kayil helping his baby brother Mico

Mommy and Chico, and Mico trying his luck on the other side