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I am a father of a 2 weeks old newborn boy, my wife is currently breastfeeding him during day but night most of the time I have to formula bottle fed him because my wife sometime does not want to get up and feed him. I don't know if this is ok to be fed in both. Also her mother give him herbs to drinks once a day, she said this would make him stool more, stool a lot mean healthy baby. I don't have any clue in both of this scenario. Therefore, we need your advices. It would be much appreciate it if you can provide us with some answers.
Thank You
Dear Alex,
First, congratulations on the birth of your baby -- and to you and your wife for giving him the best start in life by breastfeeding. And especially to you for being there for him in the middle of the night!
Now, as far as your situation is concerned: It is really best for a baby to be totally breastfed, at least within the first six weeks, with no supplemental bottles of formula. This helps the course of breastfeeding to go much more smoothly and provides the protection from allergies that may be important. That said, some babies do okay with both breast and bottle feeding from an early age, so if your baby is nursing well, seems content, and is gaining weight appropriately, you can continue with the schedule you are maintaining.
As for the herbal drinks your mother-in-law is giving the baby, that is not a good idea. There are no standards for herbal preparations so you don't know exactly what he is getting, and some are even harmful for babies. I know this may be hard for you to tell your mother-in-law; she may accept this better from her daughter, your wife. Yes, it is important for a baby to have regular stools, but that will happen as long as he is getting enough milk. Incidentally, babies who drink only breast milk have much milder-smelling stools!
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.
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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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