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Breastfeeding/quality of breast milk

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Expert: - 10/25/2008


Question
Hi,
I have a 6 months old baby girl and i exclusively breast fed her for 5.5 months. As i had put on a lot of weight during pregnancy, i started eating less and dieting to lose weight. hence i started feeding my baby with carrot and apple juices twice daily..either carrot in the morning and apple at night or vice versa. i have enough milk to feed my baby the rest of the day but i am worried about the quality of my milk as i am on a strict diet to lose weight.i dont eat like before .Also my baby weighs about 11 kgs now..she is 72 cms in length. she is chubby but i am worried if she is overweight.so i havent started feeding her with rice cereal(not sure if its required for her nourishment). but she is very active.she crawls a lot and also very busy playing always, trying to sit on her own....i am now worried if i should start with cereals.also how will i know if my breast milk gives her enough nutrition.. please help...

Answer
Dear Ashwini,

First, congratulations for giving your daughter the best start in life by breastfeeding her!

Now, for your questions. I consulted my coauthor, Dr. Laura Marks, and we have the following advice:

* You don't need to worry about the quality of your milk. Even if you are dieting, this will not affect quality. However, if you're dieting too strenuously, this can affect the quantity of your milk -- as well as your own health. You should plan to lose weight gradually -- no more than two pounds per month while you're nursing.

* At six months of age your baby is ready to begin eating solid foods. Rice cereal is a good first food, and if given correctly should not make your baby overweight. After she is used to the cereal (in a week or so), you can start giving her other foods -- either other types of cereal, or fruit or vegetables.

* Your baby should not be drinking as much juice as you are giving her. An occasional bottle of juice is okay, but not twice a day as a form of nutrition. Keep on nursing her -- your breast milk is still her most important form of nutrition.

Good luck!

Sally

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Sally Wendkos Olds
Author, THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING: Eiger & Olds, 3rd edition 1999, published by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books, and available in most public libraries, bookstores & La Leche League chapters. Now in revision for a fourth edition, with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D.  

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Sally Wendkos Olds

Expertise

What do you want to know about breastfeeding? I can tell you what`s good for the baby, what`s good for the mother -- and the father, how it`s related to a woman`s sexuality, how working moms can nurse, how to overcome obstacles, and lots more. As the author of THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING and author or coauthor of 8 other books and more than 200 articles about child and adult development, I can offer sound, sensible advice on breastfeeding, child care and family issues.

Experience

I nursed my 3 daughters and am the grandmother of 5 breastfed children. My book THE COMPLETE BOOK OF BREASTFEEDING (written in consultation with pediatrician Marvin S. Eiger, M.D.) was first published in 1972, and in 1999 came out in an updated 3rd Edition by Workman Publishing & Bantam Books. It is now a classic, with over 2 million copies in print. I am now revising this book for a fourth edition, consulting with pediatrician Laura M. Marks, M.D. This new edition will be published September 2009. I welcome any and all suggestions for the new edition. I coauthored college textbooks A CHILD'S WORLD: INFANCY THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, and HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; both are leading texts in their fields and have been read by 2 million students. I am the coauthor of HELPING YOUR CHILD FIND VALUES TO LIVE BY and RAISING A HYPERACTIVE CHILD, and author of THE WORKING PARENTS' SURVIVAL GUIDE & THE ETERNAL GARDEN: SEASONS OF OUR SEXUALITY. My newest book, A BALCONY IN NEPAL: GLIMPSES OF A HIMALAYAN VILLAGE, published in 2002, tells the story of the way of life in a remote village in Nepal, where all the women breastfeed! My book, SUPER GRANNY: COOL PROJECTS, ACTIVITIES, AND OTHER GREAT STUFF TO DO WITH YOUR GRANDKIDS, will be published March 2009. I speak often to professional, parent and general audiences and make many radio and TV appearances.

Credentials I received my B.A. in English Literature from the University of Pennsylvania, where I minored in Psychology, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and graduated summa cum laude.

Other points of interest I have received national awards for my writing, and am a former president of the American Society of Journalists & Authors. I am listed in the World Who's Who of Women, International Authors & Writers Who's Who, and Contemporary Authors, and am a member of several professional and civic organizations. I believe: that all parents are working parents; that parents employed outside the home need special support; that mothers' well-being is crucial to their children's welfare; and that the family is the best institution in the world and the one for which we are least prepared. My thrills come when parents or kids tell me they were helped by my writing or speaking or just understanding. To find out more about me, go to

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