6 months Exclusive breastfeed, What next?

     I was tapping my shoulder for successfully completing my 6 months of Exclusive Breast-Feed journey,unaware of the following steps to be taken. 

So many queries, so many confusions with added fear,

• How to start top feed?
• What should be the first thing to be given to him?
• What if he doesn't accept the change?
• What if he falls ill because of that?
• What should be the quantity to be fed?
• What about the frequency of breastfeed & top feed?

My anxiety asked me to lengthen my Exclusive Breast-Feed journey 15 more days, 
So finally when Kartavya was 6&1/2 month of age, I decided to get my queries resolved by none other than the expert i.e Kartavya's Pediatrician.

Following her advise & looking at Kartavya's weight gain graph, I went ahead.

From 6 & 1/2 month till 7&1/2 month of his age I started top feed, 

Not Solid But Liquid that too having same consistency of my milk, like

• Dal-pani,
• Fruit juice,
• Drained milk from mashed chapati-milk mixture.
• Raab (Wheat/ Ragi flour cooked in ghee + hot milk & jaggery)

If all of sudden we start semisolid than baby's suffer from feeling of being choked so they avoid eating & even develops fear of eating.
And about the quantity, The amount of intake & its frequency has to be decided by your baby & gradually you would be able to understand their demand.

He loved the taste & different colour of his food,
I would always make him sit & feed so they can even regulate the amount of intake they can swallow.
So once he is full, he would signal he by his "No" gesture.

First week I used to keep frequency of top feed & breastfeed to be equal, i.e every 2-3 hourly feed which would include alternate top-feed & breastfeed.
Later on the frequency of top feed was increased in comparison to breastfeed.

Every month I checked his weight just as a confirmation that my path is right.
His weight, potty, pee count were always on watch, on any change in consistency of food.

From 7 & 1/2 month I started semisolid i.e

• Drained mashed chapati-milk mixture
• Drained Apple shake & fruit puree
• Drained Mashed Dal- rice .
• Mashed boiled pulses  & vegetables.
• Khichdi

So it was liquid but the consistency was quite thick than before.
He used to love this change of consistency and taste.

From 9th month I started introduction of Solids & by age of 1 yr, he started eating

• Upma, 
• Sheera, 
• Poha, 
• Halwa, 
• Roti-sabji, 
• Dal- rice.

Because of gradual change in consistency of food he has developed the chewing habit from very beginning.
Taking him to Restaurants never felt a task for me, as I used to make him eat everything.

Still I would add,

As all Mommies are Not Same So Are the Babies,

Please consult the Pediatrician & go ahead with the food pattern.
Solid Food should complement- not replace- breastfeeding. You can continue to breastfeed till 2 years of age.

Ultimately they are baby, so let them enjoy these changes gradually, they too can get bored with everyday sweet taste of milk.

Feel free to experiment with colour, consistency and taste, so feeding your little one would never be laborious for you my dear mommies.

His first fall, his first ill, his first loud cry.

     I maintain a baby record book, which contains pictures & description of all happy moments of your baby's first year;

• His birth description
• His first spoken word, 
• His first bath, 
• His first visit to zoo, fair, garden
• His first festivals celebration and many more.

These record books contains just happy moments, because no mom wants her baby to know about the sad part of his childhood, but a mother never forgets it, its like a nightmare for her.

HIS FIRST ILL.   

 Every mommy could relate to my situation as no mom in the world is spared from the experience called,"POST VACCINATION FEVER", 
Such a tiny baby who have already taken so much pain to adjust in our world and here an added pain of vaccination which was going to be followed by fever, 
Being a mother we can do nothing but just wait for these 48 hours to pass.
    Kartavya was vaccinated  in evening so whole night I had to be like knight on duty, 
Around 11 pm Kartavya was getting cranky with risen up body temperature and looking at him, multiple thoughts were going on in my mind,

• Am I not taking his proper care?
• Am I not capable enough to handle him?
• How would I manage once I am alone to handle these stuff?

During my childhood I hate having medicines, that time my mother used to tell, 

“Wish I could take these medicines and it would had cured you”

That day I understood , the real meaning of that stanza,

"Just as my mother couldn’t see me in any pain, I was unable to see Kartavya in any misery."

Being a fighter, Kartavya was well and started playing the next morning,but till date whenever he gets sick, the mother is me overpowers the doctor & gets extra protective. 

Dear Mommies, during illness, your baby needs nothing else than you.

• 24 hrs  just Mommy & Kartavya Time.
• Your breast milk releases immunoglobulins when your baby is ill, so mommies never hesitate in breastfeeding your little munchkin as ultimately its a hormonal play.
• 8 hourly temperature measurement & medicine only if necessary especially antibiotics.
• Precautionary measure are taken to prevent illness whenever he travels or is exposed to cold air.

Babies do fall ill, its not mother's fault, but babies recover only because of mothers love.

Hence proved, "That all Mommies are their  child's Doctor Mommy."

                                                            KARTAVYA'S FIRST FALL.

    While writing this blog, my eyes were in tears, as could recall each & every sec  of that morning when Kartavya had his first fall, it was not an ordinary one, but was from 5 feet high bed, it was morning 6 am, and I could hear a loud banging sound & a loud cry,

What happened?

What? Where is Kartavya?

Before could understand the situation, don’t know when I picked up Kartavya from the floor & started feeding him. But he was continuously crying, and I was not able to understand anything,

Called my mom & dad, and they made Kartavya calm.

But couldn’t make me feel better, as I was continuously crying like anything.

He was all fine, nor even a scratch, nor even a bruise. 

"God cannot be everywhere so he created mom, but in my case, god was the savior this time."

I  was continuously blaming myself,that  how could I be so careless!

Started thinking about the ways this could be prevented.

All precautionary measures were taken but this fall was destined so as to make me learn a lesson.

Every day I learn a lesson, just as other mommies , I am also  not perfect,
We do mistakes & from each mistake learn new lessons.

But these mistakes should be a steping stone towards understanding your baby & not halting up their growth by being extra cautious.

I believe in prevention of disease but not on cost on Kartavya’s immunity. So unlike being extra cautious, I allow Kartavya to play in grass ,crawl in garden & visit new places.

Kartavya can fall but I would teach him to stand up firm & face injuries on his way. 

"I am proud of many things in life, but nothing beats the feeling of being a mother."